giiiiii 


HIA 


ill"  HI  ill!'  iPlitfl!!!!  liliiiP 
;hntennial  celebration 

ii ill  ill    iliiillliiiiliiiiM^^^^^^^^  


^'   INGORPORATEP  ■'^ 


3H 

^B 

<'  18  29  ''■  !> 


IP'    •  ^r 


BETH  EDEN        '^^. 


^     CONSOtlDATION /<^ 


.V 


Iti'liillitill  I 


tl! 


FROM  THE  LIBRARY  OF 
REV.   LOUIS    FITZGERALD    BENSON.   D.  D. 

BEQUEATHED   BY  HIM  TO 

THE  LIBRARY  OF 

PRINCETON  THEOLOGICAL  SEMINARY 


Srctloa 


/O'"^ 


y 


^r 


1698 

THE    BI-CENTENNIAL  CELEBRATION 


,  MAY  16  1932  "^ 


.^ 


FOUNDING 


FIRST  BAPTIST  CHURCH 


OF   THE    CITY   OF    PHILADELPHIA 


1898 


EDITED    BY  . 

WILLIAM   WILLIAMS    KEEN,  M.D.,  LL.D. 


s  ^i  INCOftPORATEO  \'*  J 

Is;      ^«"      1-^ 

'.  ^\       BETHtDEN      Jr-c 
f\%'\  COMSOUOATION y^ /, 

"'.^ffi — ^-^y 


PHILADELPHIA 

AMERICAN   BAPTIST   PUBLICATION    SOCIETY 

1899 


COPVRICHTKD,    1S99,    BV 

TH1-:    FIRST    BAPTIST   CHURCH    OF   THE 
CITV   OF   PHILADELPHIA. 


PRESS  OF  WM.  F.  FELL  &  CO. 
1220-24  S«NSOM  Street, 

PHKADELPHIA. 


TABLE  OF  CONTENTS. 


PAGK 

Notable  Events  in  our  History, 7 

List  of  Pastors,  Officers,  and  Calendar, 8 

Preface,      .       n 

Historical  Address  ky  W.   W.   Keen,  M.D.,  LL.D., 13 

I.    Period  of  Foundation, 17 

n.   Period  of  Development, 39 

HI.    Period  of  Contention, 85 

IV.   Period  of  Progress, 97 

V.    Early  Manners  and  Customs, 149 

Biographical  Sketches  of  the  Pastors, 201 

"Our    Indebtedness  to  the  Fathers."     Address  by  Henry  M. 

King,  D.D, 21; 

'■  American  Christianity  in  its  World  Relations."     Address  by 

Henry  C.  Mabie,  D.D., 231 

"  The  Church  of  the  Past."    'Sermon  by  George  Dana  Board- 
man,  D.  D.,  LL.D., 251 

"  The  Church  of  the  Future."     Sermon  by  Kerr  Boyce  Tupper, 

D.D.,  LL.D.,      271 

Program  of  the  Bi-centennial  Celebration, 295 

Reception,      311 

Women's  Meeting, ....  315 

Greetings  : 

Institutional, .  329 

Ancestral, 336 

Denominational, 340 

Interdenominational, 349 

Filial, 357 

Bible  Schools,  History  of, 369 

History  of  the  Organizations  in  the  Fir.st  Baptist  Church,  .  389 

History  of  the  Organiz-^tions  in  the  Beth  Eden  Church,      .  399 

History  of  the  Organizations  in  the  Im.manuel  Mission,     .    .  403 

5 


6  J  ABLE    OF  CONTENTS. 

Ai'i'KNDix   A.— Summary  of  Faitli,  Covenant,  Charter,  and  By  Laws,    .  409 

Ai'i'KNDix  H.  — Pennepek  Church, 437 

AlM'KNDlX  C.— The  Presbyterians, 439 

Ari'ENDix  1). — The  Episcopalians,  444 

Ari'KNDiX   E. — The  Keithian  Quakers, 449 

AiM-KNOix   K.  — Deed  for  Lagrange  Place  Lot 453 

Ai'i'KNDix   (■..  — Declaration  of  Trust  of  Wardens  of  Christ  Church,       .  456 

Ai'i'KNDix   IL  — (Origin  of  the  Philadelphia  Baptist  Association,  .    .         .  460 

Ai'i'KNDix  J.— Origin  of  the  First  Baptist  Church, 466 

AI'I'KNDIX    K.— Ordination  of  Rev.  Samuel  Jones, 471 

Ai'i'KNDix   L. — Churches  in  Philadelphia, 47^ 

AI'I'KNDIX   M.  — Opinion  of  the  Supreme  Court  in  the  Spruce  Street  Diffi- 
culties,     480 

Al'riiNDiX  N. — The  Baptisterion, 49^ 

Api'kndix  O. — The  Branson  Deed,  5<^o 

Ai'i'KNDix   P. — The  Councils  of  1825, 5°! 


ERRATA. 


Page  32. — Legend  of  figure  9,  for  Deed  of  Trtist  read  Declaration  of  TniU. 
Page  91,  line  5,  for  Revs.  Liichts  BoIIes,  Henian  Lincoln,  etc.,  read  Heiiiaii 
■  Lincoln,  Rev.  Lucius  Bolles,  etc.      [Mr.  Lincoln  was  not  a  clergyman.] 
Page  182,  line  24,  for  Thomas  S.   Wattson  read  T/ioiiias  U'ai/son. 


motablc  JEvcnts  Conncctc^  witb  ouv  Cburcb 

*JHi9toi\\ 


1698.  The  Church  was  founded. 

1707.  Philadelphia  I'.aptist  Association  formed  in  our  Church. 

1746.  The  Church  was  formally  constituted. 

1764.  Brown  University  originated  in  our  Church. 

1781.  Sunrise  meeting  of  the  Association  on  the  surrender  of  Cornwallis. 

1789.  Roxborough  Baptist  Church  founded. 

1803.  Second  Baptist  Church  founded. 

1S04.  Blockley  Baptist  Church  founded. 

1809.  First  African  Baptist  Church  founded. 

1809.  Third  Baptist  Church  founded. 

1811.  Sansom  Street  (Fifth)  Baptist  Church  founded. 

1S14.  "Triennial    Convention"     (later    the     American    Baptist    Missionary 

Union)  formed. 

1815.  Our  Sunday-school  formed. 

I  818.  First  Baptist  Church,  Camden,  founded. 

1829.  The  Church  was  incorporated. 

1832.  Central  Union  Association  formed  in  our  Church. 

1837.  American  and  Foreign  Bible  Society  formed  in  our  Church. 

1839.  Pennsylvania  Baptist  Ministerial  Etlucation  Society  formed  in  our  Church. 

1846.  Bucknell  University  assisted. 

1856.  Removal  to  Broad  and  Arch  Streets. 

1858.  North  Philadelphia  Baptist  Association  formed. 

1865.  Boardman    Mission    (now    the    South    Broad    Street    Baptist    Church) 
accepted. 

1868.  Immanuel  Mission  founded. 

1869.  First  Meeting  of  Board  of  Managers  of  Baptist   Home  in  our  Church. 
1874.  Baptist  Orphanage  founded. 

1874.  Philadelphia  Home  for  Incurables  assisted. 

1879.  Women's  National  Indian  Association  originated  in  our  Church. 

1882.  Young  People's  Baptist  Union  organized. 

1888.  Baltimore  Avenue  Church  founded. 

1890.  Narberth  Alission  (now  the  Church  of  the  Evangel)  founded. 

1895.  Consolidation  with  the  Beth  Eden  Church. 


IRoll  Of  pastors. 


Tlic  years  indicate  the  diuation  of  their  ministry.  For  three  of  the  earlier 
pasliirs  the  dates  are  not  exactly  known. 

A.   JOINT  PASTORS  OF  PENNEPEK  AND  OUR  CHURCH,  I  698-1746. 

1.  John  \V.vrT.s,  1690-1702. 

2.  Evan  Morgan,  1706-1709. 

3.  Samuel  Jones 1706-1722  (?). 

4.  Joseph  Wood, 1 708-1747  (?). 

5.  AiiEL  Morgan, 1711-1722  (?). 

6.  JKNKIN  Jones, 1725-1746. 

B.  PASTORS  OF  OUR  CHURCH  ALONE. 

6.  Jenkin  Jones, 1746-1760. 

7.  Morgan  Edwards,  A.M., 1761-1772. 

8.  Wii.i.iAM  Rogers,  D.D., 1772-1775. 

9.  El, HANAN  Winchester, 1780-1781. 

ID.   Thomas  Ustick,  A.M., 1782-1803. 

11.  William  Staughton,  D.D.,      1806-1812. 

12.  Henry  Holcombe,  D.D., 1812-1824. 

13.  William  Theophilus  Brantly,  D.D.,    .    .       1826-1837. 

14.  George  Barton  IDE,  D.D., 1838-1852. 

15.  James  IIazzard  Cuphkert,  D.D., 1855-1861. 

16.  George  Dana  BoARDMAN,  D.I).,  LL.D.,     .    .  1864-1894. 

17.  Frederic  Foye  Briggs,  AM., 1894-1896. 

18.  Kerr  BoyceTupper,  D.D.,  LL.D.,     .    .    .    .1895. 

l-'rom  1746  to  1894,  one  liundred  and  forty-eight  years,  there  were  eleven 
pastors.  Omilting  Mr.  Winchester,  who  only  served  one  year,  the  average 
length  of  the  pastorates  would  be  almost  fifteen  years. 

PASTORS  OF  BETH  EDEN  CHURCH. 

1.  James  Wheaton  Snhph,  D.D., 1S70-1882. 

2.  John  WiGNEY  Ashworth, 1882-1883. 

3.  John  Tustin  Beckley,  D.D., 1883-1894. 


OFFICERS,   1898. 


PASTOR, 

REV.  KERR  liOVCE  TUF-'PER,  D.D.,  LL.D. 


HONORARY  PASTOR, 

REV.  GEORGE  DAN.A   BOA  RUM  AN,  D.D.,  LL.U. 

PASTOR'S  ASSISTANT, 

MRS.   ALMENA    H.   BOSSON. 

DEACONS, 

William  A.  Levering,  Charles  T.  Miller, 

William  W.  Keen,  Lowell  Shumwav, 

T.  Seymour  Scott,  Benjamin  Githens, 

Augustus  Thomas,  George  Dukes, 

Samuel  J.  Clevenger,  .      John  H.  Geyer, 

B.  Ogden  Loxley,  Frederick  VV.  Hutchinson. 

TREASURER, 

L    H.    OHarra. 

CLERK,  ASSISTANT  CLERK, 

W.  Clifton  Geyer.  Howard  B.  Martin. 

TRUSTEES, 

President,  Matthew  Semple.  Secretarv,  James  F.  Hagen. 

Treasurer,  L   H.  O'Harr.a  (ex  officio  member). 
Terms  expire  Jan.,  1S99.  Terms  expire  Jan.,  1900.  Terms  expire  Jan.,  igoi. 

Benjamin  Githens,  Wm.  G.  Hopper,  John   H.  Geyer, 

James  F.  Hagen,  B.  Ogden  Loxley,  William  S.  Haines, 

William  W.  Keen,  Howard  B.  Martin,  David  A.  Hunter, 

William  A.  Levering,  T.  Seymour  Scott,  Matihew  Shmple, 

Ernest  L.  Ti  stin.  Aigusius  Thomas.  Carter  S.  Thompson. 


HmmanuGl  flDi^elon. 

TwentN-tliird  and   Summer  Streets. 


PASTOR,  REV.  THOMAS  A.  LLOYD. 

Winfield  S.  Elliott,  Henry  E.  Lincoln, 

Harry  J.  Moore,  Mrs.  A.  B.  Bosson, 

Rev.  Thos.  A.  Lloyd. 

D^acoi/s,  Clt'i  I;, 

George  W.  Wolfe,  James  Michie. 

HARR^■  J.  Moore. 

Treasurer, 
Harry  J.  Moork. 

9 


Church  (Ialcn^al^ 


I'uiil.ic  WoRMiii',  Sunday,  10.30  A.  AI.  and  7.45  P.  INI. 

IloMK  ]?ii{i.K  School,  Sunday,  2.30  P.  M. 

CiiiNESK  BiULK  School,  Sunday,  2.30  and  7.30  P.  M. 

MoLY  Communion,  first  Sunday  morning  in  each  month. 

Girls'  Guild,  Monday  evening. 

*  Young  Picori.ic's  Christian  Endeavor  Skrvick,  Tuesday  evening. 

BoARDMAN  Boys'  Guild,  P"riday  evening. 

I'.APTIST  Boys'  Brigadk,  Thursday  evening. 

Dorcas  Society,  Wednesday  afternoon. 

Church  Devotional  Service,  Wednesday  evening. 

Inquiry  .Service  (for  candidates  for  baptism),  second  Monday  evening  of 

each  month,  and  second  Monday  evening  before  Communion. 
Monthly  Church  Covenant  Service,  Wednesday  evening  before  Holy 

Communion. 
Monthly  Missionary  Meeting  of  Woman's  Missionary  Societies,  last 

Wednesday  afternoon  of  each  month. 
Monthly  Trustees'  Meeting,  last  Monday  evening  of  each  month. 
Quarterly  Business  Meeting,  first  Monday  evening  after  second  Sunday 

in  January,  April,  July,  and  October. 
Quarterly  Rental  of  Pews,  January,  .\pril,  July,  and  Octolier. 
CHiLr:)REN's  Day,  Easter  and  Christmas. 
Annual  Business  Meeting  (for  the  election  of  officers,  etc.),  first  Monday 

evening  after  second  Sunday  in  January. 
Annual  Church  Day  for  Prayer,  last  Wednesday  in  January. 
Annual  offering  for  Our  Dorcas  Society,  first  Sunday  in  January. 
Annual  offering  for  Home  Missions,  third  Sunday  in  January. 
Annual  offering  for  Publication  Society,  third  Sunday  in  February. 
Annual  offering  for  Foreign  Missions,  third  Sunday  in  March. 
Annual  offering  for  State  Mission  Society,  third  Sunday  in  April. 
Annual  offering  for  OrI'HANAGE,  third  Sunday  in  May. 
.\nnual  offering  for  OuR  Sunday  Schools,  third  Sunday  in  October. 
.■\nnual  offering  for  CiTY  Missions,  third  Sunday  in  November. 
Annual  offering  for  Ministerial  Education,  third  Sunday  in  December. 

*  Uegiiming  IJeceniber  7,  1S97,  the  meetings  of  the  Young   People's   Society  for 
Christian  Culture  look  the  place  of  the  Young  People's  Socielv  of  Christian  Endeavor. 


PREFACE 


I  was  appointed  Historian  by  the  Church,  and  have  also 
acted  as  Editor  of  this  volume.  As  my  Historical  Address 
was  never  submitted  to  the  Church  for  its  approval  and 
indorsement,  I  alone  am  responsible  for  any  errors  it  may 
contain  and  any  opinions  it  expresses.  Only  a  portion  of 
it  was  read  at  the  celebration. 

In  preparation  for  the  Address  every  word  of  our  exist- 
ing Minutes,  from  1757  to  1 898,  was  read,  and  also  the 
Minutes  of  the  Trustees  and  the  Deacons.  These  make  up 
eighteen  volumes,  some  of  them  very  large.  In  addition 
to  this,  a  very  large  collection  of  loose  papers,  reports,  etc., 
was  read,  and  a  few  valuable  grains  of  wheat  were  found 
among  a  great  amount  of  chaff.  Evidently,  no  person 
could  accomplish  this  task  alone.  Abstracts  of  all  that 
was  worthy  of  notice  were  made  by  Messrs.  Henry  E. 
Lincoln,  Dr.  Howard  B.  Martin.  Isaac  H.  O'Harra,  W. 
Clifton  Geyer,  Mrs.  William  M.  Wilson,  and  Miss  Dora 
Keen,  who  divided  this  work  among  them.  Besides  con- 
sulting these  abstracts  (which  I  have  carefully  placed  in 
our  archives  for  1998),  I  read  a  very  large  portion  of  the 
Minutes  myself,  and  on  all  important  points  I  read  and 
often  re-read  them  carefully. 

I  owe  many  courtesies  to  the  Librarians  of  Brown  Uni- 
versity, Crozer  Theological  Seminary,  the  Baptist  Historical 
Society,  and  the  Pennsylvania  Historical  Society  ;  to  Rev. 
Drs.  L.  Moss  and  T.  V.  Griffiths,  and  to  Mr.  E.  R.  Siewers, 
and  many  others,  who   lent  books,  portraits,  photographs, 


12  PREFACE. 

relics,  and  otlier  material  of  value.  There  are  still  lacking 
portraits  of  all  the  pastors  prior  to  William  Rogers,  and 
pictures  of  the  two  brick  churches  of  173 1  and  1762.  A 
diligent  search  has  failed  to  discover  any  of  these. 

Besides  the  chronological  history  of  the  church,  I  have 
added,  in  Part  V  of  the  Historical  Address,  a  sketch  of  the 
manners  and  customs  of  the  times,  without  which,  it 
seemed  to  me,  we  should  miss  much  of  the  flavor  of  such 
a  history.  I  hesitated  for  a  time  as  to  the  propriety  of 
portraying  faithfully  our  grandfathers  and  great-grand- 
fathers with  all  their  defects,  some  of  which  were  very 
glaring;  but  on  consideration,  I  decided  that  the  whole 
truth  was  what  was  expected  of  a  historian  worthy  of  the 
name,  and  was  due  to  the  church  of  the  present.  Only 
by  this  can  we  determine  our  progress  and  find  meet 
encouragement. 

I  have  also  placed  on  record  our  Charter,  By-laws,  Con- 
fession of  Faith,  Histories  of  our  church  Organizations, 
Lists  of  Officers,  etc.  In  the  Appendix  are  reprints  of  a 
number  of  original  papers  from  our  archives,  together 
with  full  quotations  of  interesting  extracts  from  Morgan 
Edwards. 

Following  the  Historical  Address,  the  sermons,  ad- 
dresses, greetings,  etc.,  which  added  so  much  to  the  interest 
of  our  Bi-centennial  Celebration,  are  published  in  full. 

Several  of  the  papers  on  the  program — especially  the 
Reminiscences — are  necessarily  omitted,  in  order  to  avoid 
repetition. 

William  W.  Keen. 


HISTORICAL   ADDRESS 


BY   WILLIAM   WILLIAMS   KEEN.   M.D.,   LL.D. 


In  America  an  existence  of  two  centuries  for  a  churcii 
is  very  exceptional.  Only  ten  Baptist  Churches  antedate 
1698,  viz.: 

The  First  Baptist  Church  of  Providence,  1639. 

The  First  Baptist  Church  of  Newport,  1644. 

The  Second  Baptist  Church  of  Newport,  1656. 

The  First  Baptist  Church  of  Swansea  (Mass.),  1663. 

The  First  Baptist  Church  of  Boston,  1665. 

The  First  Baptist  Church  of  Charleston,  S.  C,  1683. 

The  Pennepek  Baptist  Church,  1688. 

The  Middletown  (N.  J.)  Baptist  Church,  1688. 

The  Piscataway  (N.  J.)  Baptist  Church,  1689. 

The  Cohansey  (N.  J.)  Baptist  Church,  1690. 

The  First  Baptist  Church  of  Philadelphia,  1698. 

The  First  Baptist  Church  of  Philadelphia  is,  therefore, 
the  eleventh  in  rank  of  age  in  the  United  States. 

It  has  been  sometimes  debated  whether  we  should  date 
our  existence  from  1698  or  1746,  when  we  were  first 
ecclesiastically  "  constituted  "  as  a  separate  Church.  A 
few  minutes'  consideration  of — 

A.  The  peculiar  position  of  the  Philadelphia  Church  ; 

B.  Our  recognition  by  the  Philadelphia  Association  ; 
and — 

C.  The  statements  of  authors,  it  seems  to  me,  will  quite 
justify  the  assumption  of  the  earlier  date. 


14  I'JRST  BAPTIST  CIU'RCIl. 

A.  I.  The  Mother  Church,  even  in  1688,  was  suburban. 
Our  church  was  established  in  the  town  in  which  the 
Proprietary,  William  Penn  and  his  official  Representative, 
lived,  and  it  very  soon  became  not  only  the  Metropolis  of 
Pennsylvania,  but  later  the  Capital  of  the  entire  country. 
Our  church  acquired,  therefore,  very  early  a  metropolitan 
importance  which  could  not  belong  to  the  Mother  Church. 
Practically  it  assuiitcd  all  of  the  duties  and  rights  of  a 
separate  Church. 

Thus,  even  before  the  formal  organization  in  December, 

1698,  in  the  correspondence  with  the  Presbyterians  who 
occupied  the  liarbadoes  Storehouse  with  them,  they  speak 
of  themselves  as  "  the  Church  of  Christ,  baptized  on 
confession  of  faith,  over  which  John  Watts  is  pastor,"  etc., 
without  an)'  reference  to  Pennepek  ;  and  the  Presbyterians 
reply  "  to  the  Church  of  Christ  over  which  John  Watts  is 
pastor,"  etc.  (Appendix  B).  And,  again,  in  the  correspon- 
dence with  Thomas  Clayton  (Appendix  C),  on  March  11, 

1699,  they  sign  the  letter  thus,"  Subscribed  by  us  members 
of  the  General  Meeting  in  behalf  of  the  rest." 

2.  While  ministers  at  Pennepek  frequently  served  the 
branch  in  Philadelphia,  }'et,  upon  the  whole,  as  will  be 
seen  later  from  Morgan  Edwards,  the  Philadelphia  Church 
was  served  by  many  ministers  other  than  those  of  the 
Mother  Church.  From  1698  to  1746  Pennepek  had  but 
seven  ministers,  whereas  Morgan  P2dwards  mentions  six- 
teen ministers  by  name,  and  adds  "and  others,"  who  served 
the  Philadelphia  Church  during  the  same  period.  In 
1723,  indeed,  George  Eaglesfield  was  chosen  to  preach, 
"contrary  to  the  sense  of  the  Church  of  Pennepek,"' 
and  thus  for  two  years  we  had  our  own  separate  Pastor. 

•  Morgan  Edwards,  "Materials  towards  a  History  of  the  American  liap- 
lists,  in  twelve  volumes,  by  Morgan  Edwards,  A.M.,  Fellow  of  Rhode  Island 
rdlege,  and  Overseer  of  the  Baptist  Church  of  Philadelphia.  Printed  liy  James 
Crukshank  and  Isaac  Collins,  MDCCLXX,"  vol.  i,  p.  44. 


BI-CEXTENNIAL    CELEBRATION.  15 

3.  In  1746  the  question  was  raised  whether  Philadelphia 
was  not  a  branch  of  Pennepek,  thus  implying  a  quasi- 
independence.  The  reason  for  raising  the  query  was  that 
some  legacies  had  been  left  to  the  Philadelphia  Church, 
showing  that  our  independence  was  thus  practically  recog- 
nized. But  to  make  it  legally  operative  we  were  definitely 
"constituted"  as  an  independent  church,  so  that  the  lega- 
cies should  not  be  shared  by  the  people  of  Pennepek,  for 
whom  they  had  not  been  designed.' 

B.  The  Philadelphia  Association  repeatedly  recognized 
the  "church  at  Philadelphia"  during  its  earlier  years. 
Thus,  in  17 12,'  when  a  disturbance  was  made  by  Thomas 
Selby,  the  committee  appointed  to  judge  the  same  writes 
"  with  respect  to  the  differences  between  members  and 
others,  some  time  belonging  to  the  Baptist  Church  of 
Philadelphia."  In  1729  is  a  query  from  "the  church  at 
Philadelphia,"  and  again,  "  agreed  to  the  request  of 
the  church  of  Philadelphia.""'  The  ministers  of  the 
church  of  Philadelphia  were  repeatedly  appointed  to 
preach  the  annual  sermon,  and  the  Association  itself,  with 
one  exception,  met  annually  in  our  church  in  Philadelphia 
for  sixty-two  years  (1707-1769). 

C.  The  expressions  used  by  Morgan  PLdwards  and 
other  authors  point  in  the  same  direction.  Thus,  Morgan 
Edwards  says :  "  This  is  the  eighth  Church  in  order  of 
constitution;  but  in  reality  is  within  ten  years  as  old  as 
Pennepek."  ^  And  later  he  says  :  "  The  church  of  Philadel- 
phia did.  May  15,  1746,  formally  incorporate,  which  had 
only  been  done  implicitly  on  Dec.  16,  1698."' 

Among  other  authors  may  be  named  Fisher,''  who  says : 
"  In    1698  a  Baptist  church  was  formed  in   Philadelphia." 

'  Edwards,  loc.  cit.,  p.  44. 

-  Gillette's  "  Minutes  of  the  riiiladelphia  Association,"  pp.  26,  32. 

3  //)/(/.,  p.  30.  *  Lot.  cil.,  p.  41.  •■*  Loc.  d/.,  p.  44. 

•^  "  History  of  the  Christian  Church,"  p.  563. 


l6  I-IRST  BAPJISr  CHURCH. 

Vedder,  in  liis  "  Short  History  of  the  Baptists,"  1 891, 
says:'  "The  first  cluirch  of  Philadelphia  was  founded 
in  the  following  year."-  In  his  later  work,  published  in 
1898,  he  varies  the  phrase  to  "  has  been  in  existence  from 
1698,"  Armitage'^  says  they  "  formed  a  church."  Spencer' 
is  very  explicit,  saying:  "Having  had,  and  exercised  in 
reality,  all  the  functions  of  a  church  from  the  first  estab- 
lishment, in  1698,  that  year  is  certainly  the  proper  one  to 
date  the  commencement  of  their  history." 

The  actual  date  of  the  foundation  of  the  church  was  the 
second  Sunday  in  December,  1698.  This  is  erroneously 
stated  by  Morgan  Edwards  as  December  i6th.  My 
friend,  Winslow  Upton,  Professor  of  Astronomy  in  Brown 
University,  informs  me  that  the  second  Sunday  in  Decem- 
ber, 1698,  was  December  iith.  As  Great  Britain  did  not 
adopt  the  modern  chronology  until  1752,  the  actual  date 
corresponding  to  December  1 1,  1698,  Old  Style,  would  be 
December  21,  1898,  New  Style  ;  but  the  church  considered 
that,  to  say  nothing  of  the  proximity  of  Christmas,  it  would 
be  better  to  take  the  second  Sunday  in  December,  which 
is  December  nth  in  1898  as  in  1698,  as  the  time  for  our 
celebration. 

The  history  of  the  First  Baptist  Church  may  be  divided 
into  four  periods  : 

First,  the  Period  of  Foundation  (forty-eight  years) — from 
1698  to  1746. 

Second,  the  Period  of  Development  (seventy  years) — from 
1746  to  1 8 16. 

'  p.  160. 

^  This  should  not  be  the  "  following  "  year, — that  is,  1699, — but  ten  years 
later.  Evidently,  Prof.  Vedder  overlooked  the  errata  at  the  end  of  Morgan 
Edwards'  book. 

'  "  History  of  the  Baptists,"  p.  712. 

"*  "  I'^arly  ISaptists  of  I'liiladelphia,"  p.  69. 


BI-CENTENXIAL    CELEB  RATI  ON.  17 

Third,  the  Period  of  Contention,  involving  our  good 
friends  of  the  Philadelphia  Association  and  of  the  Spruce 
Street  Baptist  Church  (nineteen  years), — from  i8i6to  1835. 

Fourth,  the  Period  of  Progress  (sixty-three  years) — from 
1835  to  1898;  a  period  which  happily  is  not  yet  ended. 

I.  The  Period  of  Foundation  — 1698  to  1746. 

The  first  Baptist  church  south  of  New  England,  except 
Charleston,  was  founded  in  1684  at  Cold  Spring,  between 
Bristol  and  Trenton.  It  was  served  by  the  Rev.  Thomas 
Dungan,  who  had  come  from  Rhode  Island  in  1684,  and 
in  the  same  year  had  gathered  a  church  about  him.  This 
church,  unfortunately,  broke  up  in  1702. 

The  first  permanent  Baptist  church  to  be  established 
in  Pennsylvania  is  that  now  called  Lower  Dublin,  from 
the  township  in  which  it  is  situated,  in  the  Thirty-fifth 
Ward  of  the  City  of  Philadelphia,  about  eleven  miles 
northwest  from  Independence  Hall.  The  early  name  by 
which  it  was  known  was  the  Pennepek  Church,  an  adapta- 
tion from  the  Indian  name  of  Pemmepaka,  from  a  small 
stream  near  the  church.  It  was  the  Mother  Church  not 
only  of  our  own,  but  of  all  the  Baptist  churches  of  Penn- 
sylvania, New  Jersey,  New  York,  Delaware,  and  Maryland. 

Morgan  Edwards,  in  noting  the  various  churches  origi- 
nating from  that  historic  church,  adds  :  ^  "  By  these  detach- 
ments Pennepek  was  reduced  to  narrow  bounds,  but  yet 
abides  among  the  churches  as  a  mother  in  the  midst  of 
many  daughters," — an  honorable  precedence  which  we  all 
gladly  yield  to  our  venerable  yet  vigorous  Mother  Church. 

In  1770  Morgan  Edwards  describes  it  (Appendix  B)  as 
a  "  neat  stone  building,  33  ft.  by  30  ft.,  with  pews,  galleries, 
and  a  stove."  The  absence  of  the  last  was  a  direct  means 
of  considerable  discomfort  in  man)' of  the  churches.    Even 


i8  FIRST  BAPTIST  CHURCH. 

to  this  day,  in  Holland,  few  churches  are  heated,  and  con- 
sequently the  worshipers  are  provided  with  foot-warmers, 
consisting  of  little  wooden  boxes  in  which  are  placed 
earthenware  cups  for  glowing  coals.  I  have  the  pleasure 
of  showing  you  one  of  these  (Fig.  i),  which  I  obtained  last 
summer  from  the  Protestant  church  of  Delftshaven,  in 
which  the  Pilgrim  Fathers  worshiped  just  before  they 
started  for  America  in  1620. 

This  building  was  erected  in  1 707.      Figure  2  shows  the 
orieinal    building    after  a   later    enlargement.     It    is    still 


Fig.   I. — A  Holland  Church  Foot-warmek. 

standing.     I  owe  the  photograph  of  it  to  the  courtesy  of 
Rev.  T.  P.  Holloway,  the  present  pastor. 

In  January,  1688,  Rev.  Elias  Keach  and  eleven  other 
persons  "did  by  mutual  consent  form  themselves  into  a 
church  "  at  Pennepek.  Its  origin  is  thus  strikingly  told 
by  Morgan  Edwards  •} 

"  Elias  Keach  was  the  son  of  the  famous  Benjamin 
Keach,  of  London.  Arrived  in  this  country  a  very  wild 
spark  [he  was  only  twenty  years  old]  about  the  year  1686. 
On  his  landing  he  dressed  in  black  and  wore  a  band  in 
order  to  pass  for  a  minister.     The  project  succeeded  to  his 

1  "  Materials,"  p.  9. 


BI-CENTENNIAL    CELEBRA  TION. 


19 


wishes,  and  many  people  resorted  to  hear  the  young 
London  divine.  He  performed  well  enough  till  he  had 
advanced  pretty  far  in  the  sermon.  Then,  stopping  short, 
looked  like  a  man  astonished.  The  audience  concluded 
he  had  been  seized  with  a  sudden  disorder  ;  but,  on  asking 
what  the  matter  was,  received  from  him  a  confession  of  the 
imposture  with  tears  in  his  eyes  and  much  trembling. 
Great  was  his  distress  though  it  ended  happily ;  for  from 
this  time  dated  he  his  conversion.      He  heard  there  was  a 


Fig.  2.— The  Oli>  Lcwi.r   \)\  m.in  i  I'lnm.iliv  /   lihuiu.a;,   I^nlarokd  from  the 

Church  of  1707. 
{Froiii  a  photograph  kiiuUv  fitniished  by  Rev.  Thos.  P.  Holloivay,  the  present  Pastor.} 


Baptist  minister  at  Coldspring  in  Bucks  County  between 
Bristol  and  Trentown.  To  him  did  he  repair  to  seek 
counsel  and  comfort;  and  by  him  was  he  baptized.  The 
minister's  name  was  Thomas  Dungan.^     From  Coldspring 

1  "  Of  this  venerable  father  I  can  learn  no  more  than  that  he  came  from 
Rhode   Island  about  the  year  1684.     That  he  and  his  family  settled  at  Cold- 


20  I-lRSr  BAPTIS'J'  CHURCH. 

Mr.  Keach  came  to  Pennepek  and  settled  a  church  there 
as  before  related.     *     *     * " 

The  records  of  Pennepek  give  the  following  account  of 
the  establishment  of  the  church  in  language  as  simple  as 
it  is  eloquent : 

"Sometime  after,  about  the  nth  month,  (January, 
1685-),'  by  the  advice  of  Elias  Keach  and  with  the  afore- 
said Baptized  persons'  consent,  a  day  was  set  apart  to  seek 
God  by  fasting  and  prayer,  in  order  to  form  ourselves  into 
a  Church  state.  Whereupon  Elias  Keach  was  accepted 
and  received  for  our  Pastor  and  we  sat  down  in  commu- 
nion at  the  Lord's  table.  Also  at  the  same  time  Samuel 
Vans  was  chosen  and  by  Elias  Keach  with  laying  on  of 
hands,  ordained  to  be  a  Deacon." 

As  early  as  the  spring  of  1688  Elias  Keach  held  several 
meetings  in  Philadelphia,  but  from  1695  onward,  upon  the 
request  both  of  the  Baptists  and  of  the  Presbyterians, 
John  Watts,  who  in  1690  had  succeeded  Elias  Keach  as 
Pastor  of  Pennepek,  consented  to  preach  in  Philadelphia 
every  other  Sunday  ;  the  Presbyterian  minister,  whenever 
there  was  one  in  town,  preaching  on  the  intervening 
Sundays. 

Up  to  September,  1698,  all  went  smoothly.  At  that 
time  the  Presbyterians,  having  obtained  a  settled  minister, 
desired  to  oust  the  Baptists  from  their  place  of  worship. 
This  led  to  a  spicy  correspondence,  and  resulted  in  the  suc- 
cess of  the  Presbyterians  (Appendix  C). 

At  the  recent  celebration  of  the  Bi-centennial  of  the  First 

spring,  where  he  gathered  a  church,  of  which  nothing  remains  but  a  grave- 
yard and  the  names  of  the  famiHes  which  belonged  to  it — viz.,  tlie  Dmigaits, 
Gardners,  Woods,  Doyls,  etc.  Tliat  he  died  in  l6S8,  and  was  buried  in  said 
graveyard,"  etc. 

'  The  year  tlien  began  on  Marcli  251]),  hence  September  was  really  the 
seventh  month,  as  its  name  indicates,  and  the  eleventh  month  was  January. 
Englan  1  did  not  adopt  the  modern  chronology  until  1752. 


BI-CENTENNIAL    CELEBRATION.  21 

Presbyterian   Church  our  own  church  sent   the  following 
greeting  by  the  hands  of  our  Pastor,  Rev.  Dr.  Tupper: 

"  The  First  Baptist  Church  in  Philadelphia  sends  most 
cordial  Christian  greeting  to  their  beloved  brethren  of  the 
First  Presbyterian  Church  in  Philadelphia. 

"  In  1695,  when  both  of  us  were  few  and  feeble,  we  met 
in  joint  worship  in  the  store-house  on  Barbadoes  lot.  You 
profited  by  our  minister  John  Watts  on  alternate  Sundays, 
and  we  by  your  occasional  supplies. 

"  On  December  1 1,  1698,  nine  persons  '  coalesced  into  a 
church  for  the  communion  of  saints,'  whose  bi-centennial 
we  shall  celebrate  next  month.  With  true  Presbyterian 
push  you  organized  into  a  church  three  months  earlier 
than  we  ;  just  as  in  181 5  the  Second  Presbyterian  Church 
stole  a  march  upon  us  by  founding  the  first  Sunday  School 
in  Philadelphia  less  than  a  month  before  we  did.  We 
have  been  trying  to  keep  up  with  you  in  good  works  ever 
since  then,  but  we  find  that  it  taxes  all  our  strength. 

"As  it  would  seem  by  good  old  Morgan  Edwards' 
account,  you  '  in  a  manner  drave  the  Baptists  away,'  two 
centuries  ago.  We  have  long  since  forgiven  you,  and 
welcomed  you  into  our  hearts,  and  know  no  rivalry 
other  than  in  love  for  our  common  Lord  and  in  service  to 
our  fellow  men." 

Moreover,  not  only  were  we  assailed  by  our  Presbyte- 
rian friends,  but  also  by  the  Episcopal  minister  of  Christ 
Church.  In  Appendix  D,  dated  March  11,  1699,  will  be 
found  our  reply  to  the  Rev.  Mr.  Clayton,  a  reply  which 
must  have  convinced  Mr.  Clayton  that  he  had  undertaken 
a  hopeless  task. 

The  founding  of  our  own  church  is  thus  described  by 
Morgan  Edwards  : ' 

"  In  the  year  1686  one  John  Holms"  arrived  and  settled 
in  the  neighbourhood  :  he  was  a  man  of  property  arid  learn- 

1  Loc.  fit.,  p.  42. 

2  We  owe  to  him  a  part  of  our  original  lot  in  Lagrange  Place.  See  page 
41,  foot-note.  He  is  also  referred  to  in  the  account  of  the  Keithian  Quakers, 
Appendix  E. 


22  FIRST  BAPTIST  CHURCH. 

xw'g  ;  and  therefore  we  find  him  in  the  magistracy  of  the 
place  in  1691.  He  died  Judge  of  Salem  court.  In  1696 
John  Farmer  and  his  wife  arrived  :  they  belonged  to  the 
church  of  Rev.  Ansard  Knollis,  in  London.  In  1697  one 
Joseph  Todd  and  Rebecka  VVoosencroft  came  to  the  same 
neighbourhood,  who  belonged  to  a  baptist  church  at  Lim- 
mington  in  Hampshire  whereof  Rev.  John  Rumsey  was 
pastor.     The  following  year  one  William  Silverstone,  Wil- 


i /<  <vX.  i»>X[:s  / 


g 

^- 

— 1' 

Y' 

IfJE 

"   '!^"" " 

I.  or,,'.  >v/V /.../////  y 


rs.y-i 


Fig.  3. — The  Barbadoes  Store-house  as  it  Appeared  Just  Before  it  was 

Demolished  in  1832. 

\Reprodiicrd  lliioiigh  the  kindness  of  Mr.  John  C.  Brotctie.] 


liani  Elton  and  wife,  and  Mary  Shepherd  were  baptised  by 
Rev.  John  Watts.'     These  9  persons  did,  on  the  second 

'  In  Appendix  E,  relating  to  the  Keithian  Quakers,  an  account  of  certain 
ijaplisms  by  them  is  given.  Among  those  mentioned  is  "  one  Henry  Bernard 
Koster"  and  others  in  1697  and  later.  Mr.  Julius  F.  Sachse,  in  his  "  History 
of  the   (German  I'ietists,"  has  given  a  full  account  of  KiVster's  administration 


BI-CENTENNIAL    CELEBRATION.  23 

SUNDAY  IN  Dec.  1698  ASSEMBLE  AT  A  HOUSE  IN  BaRBADOES 
LOT  AND  DID  COALESCE  INTO  A  CHURCH  FOR  THE  COMMUNION 
OF  SAINTS,  HAVING  ReV.  JoHN  WaTTS  TO  THEIR  ASSIST- 
ANCE." 

This  Rev.  John  Watts  was  the  second  pastor  of  the 
Pennepek  church,  succeeding  EHas  Keach  in  1690.  "  He 
composed  a  catechism  or  Httle  System  of  Divinity,  which 
was  published  in  1700,"  which  was  the  earliest  attempt  in 
America  to  set  forth  the  doctrines  of  the  Baptist  Church. 
He  ministered  to  both  churches,  but  there  was  no  regu- 
larly settled  pastor  in  the  Philadelphia  church  until   1746. 

"  They  increased,"  says  Edwards,  "  partly  by  emigrations 
from  the  old  country  and  partly  by  the  occasional  labours 
of  rev.  messieurs  Elias  Keach,  Thomas  Killingworth,  John 
Watts,  Samuel  Jones,  Evan  Morgan,  John  Hart,  Joseph 
Wood,  Nathaniel  Jenkins,  Thomas  Griffiths,  Elisha  Thomas, 
Enoch  Morgan,  John  Burrows,  Thomas  Selby,  Abel  Mor- 
gan, George  Eaglesfield,  William  Kinnersley,  and  others." 

Of  the  sixteen  specifically  named,  seven — Keach 
(1688-9),  Watts  (1690-1702),  Evan  Morgan  (1706-9), 
Samuel  Jones  (1706-22  (?) ),  Joseph  Wood  (1708-47  (?) ), 
Abel  Morgan  (171 1-22  (?) ),  and  Jenkin  Jones  (1725-46) — 
were  the  first  seven  pastors  at  Pennepek  ;  the  others  were 
visiting  clergymen,  except  Eaglesfield,  who  was  our  own 
minister  from  1723  to  1725. 

It  will  be  seen,  therefore,  that  the  tie  which  bound  the 
Philadelphia  church  to  the  parent  church,  though  fragile, 
was  never  broken,  albeit  in  consequence  of  the  distance 
from  Pennepek  many  other  ministers  preached  for  us  from 
time  to  time. 

of  the  ordinance  of  baijtism  by  immersion  in  the  autumn  of  1696.  This 
would  make  the  first  baptism  by  immersion  in  Pennsylvania  neither  by  a 
Baptist  nor  of  a  Baptist,  but  by  a  German  Evangelist  of  a  Keithian  Quaker. 
Mr.  Sachse  tells  me  that  Morgan  Edwards  is  in  error  in  stating  that  Thomas 
Rutter  baptized  Koster,  but  that  Koster  baptized  Rutter,  a  fact  which  is  borne 
out  by  ample  documentary  eviilence  in  his  possession. 


BICENTENNIAL    CELEBRA  TION. 


25 


When  the  Presbyterians  under  Jedidiah  Andrews  had 
driven  the  Baptists  away,  our  church  worshiped  at  An- 
thony Morris's  Brew-house,  "  near  the  draw-bridge,"  now 
the  east  side  of  Water  Street,  near  Dock  Street,  and  con- 
tinued to  worship  there  until  1 707 — a  gratifying  evidence 
of  Quaker  Hberality. 

On  March  15,  1707,  by  invitation  of  the  Keithian 
Quakers,  or  Quaker  Baptists,  who  were  greatly  reduced 
in  numbers  and  were  threatened  with  extinction,  we 
occupied  the  Keithian  meeting-house  on  Lagrange  Place, 


O    *%-' 


Fig.  5. — Anthony  Morris's  Brew-house. 
{Rcpyoduced  by  the  kindness  of  Dr.  Robert  C.  Moon  and  Mr.  T.  Mor-iis  Perot. 


Second  Street  above  Market,  just  north  of  Christ  Church, 
where  we  remained  until  the  removal  to  Broad  and  Arch 
Streets  in  1856,  a  period  of  one  hundred  and  forty-nine 
years. 

The  oldest  deed  in  our  church  archives  is  the  deed  for 
a  portion  of  this  property  "twenty  feet  and  an  half"  by 
three  hundred,  by  John  Moore  to  Nicholas  Pearce.  The 
consideration  money  was  "  seven  pounds,"  and  the  "  yearly 
rents  henceforth  are  to   become  due  to  the  chief  Lord  of 


26  FIRST  BAPTIST  CHURCH. 

the  soil."  It  is  curiously  dated,  accordin<^  to  the  Old  Style 
Calendar:  "This  indenture  made  the  second  day  of  the 
eleventh  month  called  January,  1694,"  etc.  Its  irregular 
or  indented  edge  also  shows  well  the  origin  of  the  term 
"indenture."  Duplicate  agreements  having  been  written 
on  one  parchment,  they  were  cut  apart  by  a  wavering  line, 
one  copy  being  given  to  each  party.  In  case  of  any  doubt 
of  their  authenticity,  both  being  produced,  the  identity 
was  easily  established  by  their  ready  fit  at  the  cut  edges. 
Figure  6  is  from  a  photograph  of  this  deed.  Its  text  is 
given  in  full  in  Appendix  F. 

The  meeting-house  which  they  first  occupied  was  a 
small  wooden  building  erected  by  the  Keithian  Quakers  in 
1692  (Fig.  7).  This  was  pulled  down  in  1731  and  a  neat 
brick  building  forty-two  by  thirty  feet  was  erected  in  its 
place.  In  Appendix  E  will  be  found  a  full  account  of  the 
Keithian  Quakers  as  given  by  Morgan  Edwards. 

The  first  noteworthy  event  after  they  had  become  settled 
in  their  new  home  in  1707  was  occasioned  in  171 1  "by 
the  turbulent  spirit  of  an  Irish  preacher  that  was  among 
them,  along  with  Mr.  Burrows.  His  name  was  Thomas 
Selby.  When  he  had  formed  a  party  he  shut  Mr.  Burrows 
and  his  friends  out,  who  thenceforth  met  at  Mr.  Burrows's 
house  in  Chesnutstreet.  This  was  the  situation  of  affairs 
when  Mr.  Abel  Morgan  arrived  in  171 1.  But  his  presence 
soon  healed  the  breach,  and  obliged  Selby  to  quit  the 
town,  which  he  did  in  1713,  and  went  to  Carolina."^ 
The  matter  was  brought  before  the  Baptist  Association  in 
1712,  and,  both  parties  consenting,  was  referred  to  a  com- 
mittee to  hear  and  determine  their  differences.  The  report 
of  the  committee  may  be  found  in  Gillette's  "  History  of 
the  Philadelphia  Association  "  for  the  year  171 2. 

Abel  Morgan,  to  whom  Morgan  Edwards  attributes  the 

1  Edwards,  loc.  cil. ,  p.  46. 


A  ("N 


,       rji 


/' 


••  t..c'  I 

m 


'/,*    A 


l^^-*"*"- 


^/-^''i  ^//.//<.- 


,hi    I 


'*^' 


/•rofti  ■  /\    //lit   /«-.■//«.  ''   /  uf/ 

.inh  .  'i»tf/  /)€^  iMy  -T^'  ','•*«  t  / '  •?'''  "''  '*  ''  "' 


'   '  %[/rf(i'c  i-)- 


^f 


'■'^A'f 


yj* 


■\ 


Fig.  6. — Deed  Dated  the  "Second  V>\\  ov   i  he  Ei.kvent 


7T^. 


^■jtiiSlij(y>fcm'Jih 


^(  Cf  \'~,    »t//    XiKt      -■  ■ 

..  J. no  itzki  ;  /  Jf7all 


t^UitM 


•■7.  ^fliXCjldm^-  l^aJfx    J^f  77^ 


fini  \  ■fidC( 


iD  January,"  1694,  for  a  Part  of  the  Lot  in  Lagrange  Place. 


BI-  CENTEiYNIAL    CELEB R A  TION. 


27 


allaying  of  the  quarrel,  does  not  appear  to  have  been  a 
member  of  the  committee.  This  Abel  Morgan  was  the 
immediate  predecessor  of  Jenkin  Jones,  the  first  separate 
pastor  of  the  Philadelphia  Church.  He  was  a  man  of  great 
parts  and  influence,  and  an  author,  compiling  a  folio  con- 
cordance of  the  Welsh  Bible,  printed  in  Philadelphia  in 
1730,  and  translating  the  Century  Confession  into  Welsh. 


Fig.  7. — The  Keithian  Quaker  Meeting-house  on  Lagrange  Place.' 


His  body  now  lies  in  our  cemetery  at  Mount  Moriah,  and 
the  headstone  was  removed,  with  those  of  the  other  pastors, 

1  This  picture  has  been  kindly  furnished  by  Mr.  Julius  F.  Sachse.  He 
informs  me  that  it  is  a  copy  of  a  sketch  made  toward  the  end  of  the  eighteenth 
century  and  afterward  published  as  the  first  building  of  Christ  Church,  by 
Watson,  in  his  "Annals  of  Philadelphia."  According  to  the  best  evidence 
(Sachse's  "  German  Pietists  of  Pennsylvania,"  p.  288)  there  never  was  a 
wooden  Christ  ChurcJi.  The  only  foundation  for  this  story  was  the  statement 
of  an  old  negro,  Black  Alice,  who  in  1802  was  said  to  be  one  hundred  and 
sixteen  years  old.  She  evidently  confused  the  first  Keithian  Meeting-house 
with  Christ  Church  itself. 


28 


I' IK  ST  BAPTIS'J'  CHURCH. 


from  the  old  burying-ground  on  Second  Street,  first  to 
Mt.  Moriah  Cemetery,  and  thence  to  the  vestibule  at 
Broad  and  Arch  Streets,  and  is  shown  in  Figure  8. 


Fig.  8.— Tomusioni':  oi-  AuiiL  Morgan,  Originally  in  the  Old  Burialcroind 

IN  Lagrange  Place. 

[Kindly  photographed  hv  Mr.    Thornton  M.  Lynch.] 


BI-CENTENNIAL    CELEBRATION.  29 

Moreover,  Abel  Morgan  was  the  first  mover  in  education 
among  the  Baptists.  At  the  October  meeting  of  the  Phila- 
delphia Association  in  1722,  two  months  before  he  died, 
the  Association  proposed  to  the  churches  "to  make  in- 
quiry among  themselves  if  they  have  any  young  persons 
hopeful  for  the  ministry  and  inclinable  for  learning  and  if 
they  have  to  give  notice  of  it  to  Mr.  Abel  Morgan  before 
the  first  of  November  that  he  might  recommend  such  to  the 
academy  on  Mr.  Hollis^his  account" — a  worthy  prede- 
cessor, surely,  of  Morgan  Edwards,  the  founder  of  Brown 
University,  and  the  second  after  him  in  the  pastorate  of 
our  church. 

In  November,  1733,  occurred  apparently  the  earliest  stand 
taken  by  the  Baptists  of  Philadelphia  in  favor  of  religious 
freedom.  I  take  the  account  from  Spencer's  "  P2arly  Bap- 
tists of  Philadelphia,"  page  63.  He  gives  no  reference  to 
his  authority.  No  Minutes  of  the  church  at  this  time  are 
extant. 

"  A  few  families  of  the  Roman  Catholic  faith,  had  arrived 
and  erected  a  small  chapel  in  Philadelphia.     The  colonial 

1  This  was  Thomas  Hollis,  a  London  Baptist,  who  founded  a  I'lofessoisliip 
of  Theology  in  Harvard  University,  with  a  salary  of  ^So  a  year  ;  an  "exhibi- 
tion "  of  ^10  a  year  to  ten  scholars  of  good  character,  four  of  whom  should 
be  Baptists;  ^10  a  year  to  the  Treasurer  ibr  his  trouble  ;  and  £\o  more  to 
supply  accidental  losses  or  to  increase  the  numljer  of  students.  In  spite  of  this 
theological  liberality, — as  generous  as  it  was  then  unusual, — when  he  proposed 
Mr.  Callender,  the  pastor  of  the  Baptist  Church  at  Boston,  as  an  Overseer,  the 
latter  was  refused  the  position.  Mollis'  liberality,  however,  did  not  cease 
upon  this  rebuff,  for  six  years  later  he  founded  a  Professorship  of  Mathematics 
and  Experimental  Philosophy  at  Harvard,  with  a  salary  of  ;/^20  a  year,  and 
gave  ^150  worth  of  apparatus  and  books  for  the  library.  He  died  in  1731, 
and  up  to  that  time  was  the  most  liberal  iienefactor  of  the  College.  The  Hollis 
family  continued  to  enrich  the  college  for  a  century,  the  sum  total  of  their 
gifts  being  over  ^6000,  a  large  sum  in  those  days. 

Thomas  Hollis  also  was  the  first  to  establish  a  library  for  the  ministers  of 
Philadelphia  and  vicinity  who  were  too  poor  to  purchase  books  (Newman's 
"  History  of  the  IJaptist  Churches  in  the  United  States,"  p.  276). 


3° 


FIRST  BAPTIST  ClfLRCII. 


officers  were  alarmed  at  this  movement,  and  Governor 
Gordon  brought  the  matter  before  the  Council,  and  in- 
formed them  that  '  a  house  had  been  lately  built  on  Walnut 
street,  in  Philadelphia,  wherein  mass  was  openly  celebrated 
by  a  Catholic  priest,  contrary  to  the  laws  of  England.'  The 
citizens  of  the  Baptist  persuasion  and  others  claimed  that 
Catholics  and  all  other  sects  were  protected  by  the  laws 
which  had  been  established  by  William  Penn,  and  all  were 
equally  entitled  to  religious  liberty.  The  Council,  there- 
fore, wisely  refrained  from  any  interference." 

This  was  a  stand  worthy  of  the  ecclesiastical  descendants 
of  Roger  Williams  and  of  John  Holme,  and  is  in  accord 
with  the  principles  of  "  Soul  Liberty  "  for  which  Williams 
stood  so  zealously  in  Rhode  Island  and  Holme  in  Penn- 
sylvania, and  for  which  the  Baptists  have  ever  striven  as  a 
denomination. 

The  next  year  (1734)  came  near  giving  a  grievous  blow 
to  the  First  Church  property,  in  which  they  had  worshiped 
since  1707.  It  belonged  originally  to  the  Keithian 
Quakers,  but  as  they  were  not  an  incorporated  body  it 
had  to  be  held  by  trustees,  of  whom  there  were  four — 
Thomas  Budd  (an  ancestor  of  my  mother),  Thomas  Peart, 
Ralph  Ward,  and  James  Poulter.  Of  these  trustees,  in  1723 
the  only  surviving  one  was  Thomas  Peart,  and  as  the 
Keithian  Quakers  had  practically  ceased  to  exist, — some 
having  gone  to  Christ  Church,  some  back  to  the  regular 
Quakers,  and  the  remnant  in  Lagrange  Place  had  united 
with  the  Baptists, — he  quietly  deeded  the  property  to 
Christ  Church.  He  died  in  1734,  and  "the  Vestry  [of 
Christ  Church]  demanded  possession.  The  Baptists  re- 
fused. A  lawsuit  commenced,  which  brought  the  matter 
to  a  hearing  before  the  Assembly.  The  PLpiscopalians 
being  discouraged  offered  to  give  up  the  claim  for  ^^50. 
The  offer  was  accepted  ;  and  contention  ceased."  ^ 

'  Morgan  Edwards,  loc.  cit.,  p.  46. 


BI-CENTENNIAL    CELEBRATION.  31 

The  following  is  the  account  given  in  Spencer's  "  Early 
Baptists  of  Philadelphia,"  pages  64  and  65,  but  without  any 
reference  to  his  authorities: 

"  In  January,  173 1,  the  Assembly  of  Pennsylvania  had  a 
bill  before  it,  enabling  religious  societies  to  purchase  lands 
for  churches,  meeting-houses,  and  the  like.  The  members 
of  Christ  Church  took  exception  to  this  bill  as  it  would 
injure  the  right  which  they  considered  certain  of  their 
number  possessed  in  the  lot  on  which  the  Baptist  meeting- 
house stood.  But  the  bill  passed.  The  Christ  Church 
people  then  tried  to  induce  the  Governor  to  withhold  his 
signature  from  the  bill.  This  opposition  was  really  aroused 
because  the  Baptists,  who  had  held  their  property  for 
twenty-six  years,  still  claimed  it.  The  Keithians  had  con- 
veyed the  lot  to  Thomas  Budd,  Thomas  Peart,  Ralph 
Ward,  and  James  Poulter,  in  fee,  to  hold  it  for  the  Chris- 
tian Quakers,  for  a  meeting-house,  and  for  such  use  or  uses 
as  the  major  part  of  them  should  appoint,  allow  or  approve 
of.  It  was  averred  by  the  Episcopalians  that  a  majority  of 
the  Keithians  became  members  of  Christ  Church,  par- 
ticularly Thomas  Peart  and  Ralph  Ward,  and  that  they 
had  been  granted  the  use  of  the  Keithian  meeting-house. 
The  Baptists  replied  that  they  had  occupied  the  property 
by  invitation  of  the  Keithians  for  twenty-six  years,  and 
that  the  Keithians  had  become  Baptists.  As  to  the 
occupancy  of  the  property  by  Christ  Church,  the  Baptists 
said  : 

'"Before  the  Church  of  England  had  any  public  place 
of  worship,  the  Society  (Keithians  or  Christian  Quakers) 
did,  at  their  request,  grant  to  the  said  church  the  use  of  the 
house  and  lot,  now  in  controversy,  between  the  hours  of 
twelve  and  three,  on  each  Sunday,  the  said  Society  them- 
selves assembling  there  at  other  hours,  both  before  and 
after,  in  the  same  day.  This  permission  graciously  given 
could  not  by  any  ingenuity  be  tortured  into  a  conveyance 
of  the  title  to  the  property.'  " 

In  the  archives  of  our  church  I  have  found  the  origi- 
nal Declaration  of  Trust  executed  December  21,  1723,  by 
Thomas  Tresse  and  William  Eraser,  Church  Wardens  of 


FIRST  BAPl'lST  CHURCH. 


Christ   Cliurch,  declaring  that  Thomas  Peart  had  deeded 
to  them  on   December  20,  1723,  the  property  occupied  by 


V 


i  { 


vj 


c^«  ^- 


^  ^  >  ^  "^  >^  ^'^ 


(HIT  I  I  ^ 


us  on  Lagrange  Place — not  to  them  personally,  but  in 
trust  for  such  uses  as  might  be  determined  by  the  Vestry 
of  Christ   Church.      This   origrinal   document  confirms   in 


Br-CENTEXNIAL    CELEBRATIOX.  t,2, 

every  particular  (save  the  date)  the  statement  of  Morgan 
Edwards.  It  shows  that  the  deed  for  the  property  was 
executed  by  Thomas  Peart  December  20,  1723.  In  Dorr's 
"  History  of  Christ  Church  "  there  is  no  allusion  to  this 
transaction.  This  Declaration  of  Trust  is  reprinted  in  full 
in  Appendi.x  G.  Figure  9  is  a  facsimile  of  the  third 
(last)  page.  The  seals,  as  Mr.  Sachse  informs  me,  are  the 
first  seal  of  Christ  Church — a  coronet,  a  heart  and  arrows. 

The  most  notable  event  in  the  first  period  of  the  history 
of  our  church  occurred  in  1707,  when  the  Philadelphia 
Baptist  Association  was  formed.  The  fullest  account  of 
this  event  is  given  in  Morgan  Edwards'  "  Materials,"  etc., 
page  121  (Appendix  H). 

In  the  formation  of  this  Association  the  mother  church 
at  Pennepek  deserves  the  credit  of  initiating  the  move- 
ment, as  appears  in  the  extracts  from  her  records  as 
quoted  by  Edwards.  Up  to  that  time  it  was  the  custom 
of  the  Baptists  to  hold  meetings  both  in  May  and  Sep- 
tember at  Pennepek,  Philadelphia,  Sale,  Cohansey,  Chester, 
and  Burlington,  though  only  the  Pennepek  and  Cohansey 
churches  were  constituted;  but  in  the  year  1707  they  met 
definitely  in  Philadelphia  as  an  Association.  The  initial 
step  was  taken  by  the  Pennepek  Church,  but  the  meeting 
was  held  in  the  old  Keithian  Quaker  meeting-house  of  the 
Philadelphia  Church.  Five  churches  constituted  the  Asso- 
ciation— namely,  the  Pennepek  (including  the  branch 
church  at  Philadelphia),  Piscataqua,  Middletown,  Cohan- 
sey, and  the  Welsh  Tract  Churches. 

Though  ecclesiastically  we  were  not  recognized  as  a 
separate  church,  yet  by  holding  meetings  not  only  for  that 
year,  but,  as  already  stated,  continuously  up  to  1769.  our 
position  as  virtually  a  separate  church  was  well  recognized. 

It  is  beyond  the  province  of  this  Address  to  detail  the 
history  of  the  Association,  but  it  is  proper  to  note  a  few 
facts   in    reference   to   it   from    1707   until    1752,  when   the 


34 


FIRST  BAPTIST  CHURCH. 


second  Association  in  America  was  formed  at  Charleston. 
For  forty-five  years  it  stood  alone  as  the  sole  Association 
of  Baptist  Churches  in  America.  It  included  the  churches 
as  far  as  Dutchess  County,  N.  Y.,  on  the  north,  Green- 
wich, Conn.,  on  the  east,  and  Ketocton,  Va.,  on  the  south. 
One  meeting  in  our  church  is  well  worthy  of  notice. 
At  midnight,  October  24,  1781,  the  sleeping  citizens  were 
startled  by  the  news  of  the  surrender  of  Cornwallis.  The 
Association  was  then  in  session,  and  on  the  following  morn- 
ing they  met  in  our  church  at  sunrise  to  give  thanks  for  the 

"  Recent  signal  success  granted  to  the  American  army,  in  the 
surrender  of  the  whole  British  army,  under  the  command 
of  Lord  Cornwallis,  with  the  effusion  of  so  little  blood."' 

A  number  of  old  letters  to  the  Association  are  preserved 
among  the  archives  of  our  church.  They  show,  in  con- 
trast with  the  more  modern  letters,  the  extraordinary  vigor 
and  exactness  of  theological  belief,  which  was  then  deemed 
not  only  a  test  of  orthodoxy,  but  a  belief  to  be  reiterated 
on  every  suitable  occasion.  I  give  one  of  them  in  full.  It 
is  curious  to  see  that  their  peculiar  Baptist  tenets  are  appar- 
ently subordinated  to  the  Calvinistic  points  of  doctrine  by 
being  included  in  a  parenthesis. 

"The  Church  of  Christ  meeting  in  Upperfreehold,  in  the 
County  of  Monmouth,  New  Jersey.  Holding  Eternal  Elec- 
tion, Perticular  Redemption,  Irresistable  grace  in  Effec- 
tual Calling,  and  final  persevereance  in  grace,  (also  the 
Baptism  of  professing  Believers  only,  by  Immersion  only.) 

"  To  the  Elders  and  Messengers  of  the  Several  Churches 
of  Christ,  in  Pennsylvania,  New  Jersey,  and  States 
adjacent,  of  the  same  Faith  and  Gospel  order  with  us, 
meeting  annually  in  association,  who  by  appointment  were 
this  year  to  have  met  in  the  city  of  New  York,  but  by  the 
over-ruling  providence  of  God,  who  worketh  all  things 
after  the  Councel  of  his  own  will,  are  now  Expected  to  be 
met  in  association,  at  the  Scotch-plains  in    the   Burrough 

1  Gillette,  pp.   174  and  175. 


BICENTENNIAL    CELEBRATION.  35 

of  Elizabeth-Town,  in  the  County  of  Essex,  New-Jersey, 
October  15th  &c.  1776. 

"  Honoured  and  Beloved  Brethren,  as  we  think  it  becomes 
us  with  the  Church  in  Lamentations,  3d.  22  to  acknowl- 
edge that  it  is  of  the  Lords  mercys  we  are  not  consumed, 
so  we  would  hereby  contribute  our  mite,  towards  your 
united  thanksgiving,  that  we  are  yet  favored  thus  to  asso- 
ciate, and  may  the  Lord  the  holy  Spirit,  Preside  in  your 
assembly;  guiding  you  in  Councel  and  Directing  your 
Determinations,  to  his  glory  and  the  good  of  the  Churches, 
the  State  of  our  Church  is  such,  we  are  yet  Destitute  of  a 
Settled  minister  ;  our  Honoured  and  well  Beloved  Brother 
Mr.  Abel  Morgan,  hath  and  we  trust  will  yet  suppl}^  our 
Communion  Seasons,  which  are  the  Second  Lords  Days  in 
Decem,  Feb,  April,  June,  August,  &  octob,  at  any  other 
times  we  should  be  glad  of  visits  from  any  of  our  other 
Brethren  in  the  ministry,  hereby  also  giving  a  General  Invi- 
tation to  our  ministering  Brethren  to  visit  us  at  our  annual 
meeting,  the  first  Lords  Day  in  June  as  according  to  turn, 
it  is  to  be  at  our  Place  this  next  June. 

"  We  are  through  Divine  goodness  in  peace  and  unity 
among  ourselves,  and  although  deadness  much  prevails, 
yet  the  Lord  hath  not  left  us  without  witnesses;  to  the 
power  and  efficacy  of  his  grace  accompanying  his  word,  as 
we  have  had  thirteen  persons  added  to  us  by  Baptism  since 
Last  association,  one  hath  been  removed  by  Death,  and 
one  Dismissed  to  Pennepeck.  the  appointed  Days  of 
fasting  and  Prayer,  we  have  attempted  to  observe  ;  and  as 
the  ground  and  cause  continues,  and  in  part  increases,  we 
hereby  recommend  their  Continuance,  we  hereby  appoint 
our  Beloved  Brethren  Thomas  Cox  Jr.  &  Edward  Taylor 
as  our  messengers  to  associate  with  you ;  and  now 
Brethren,  we  commend  you  to  god  ;  and  subscribe  your 
Brethren  in  the  Bonds  of  the  Gospel 

Signed  October    Jo>^athan  Holmes     William  Tapscott 
c^j^    j„„g  Thomas  Parr 

p^    4.'r^^4-l  ASHER    Cox  PeTER    SeXTON 

rart  tor  the        ,.  „  r  ,- 

,    ,  Peter  Porrnan  ames  Sexton 

whole  -;  ^         t        ,. 

James  Cox,  Junr. 

Somewhat  similar  to  this  in  tone  is  the  license  of  James 


36  FIRST  BAPTIST  CHURCH. 

Manning,  first    President   of   Brown  University,  which    is 
dated   December  i,  1762,  and  begins  as  follows: 

"  The  church  of  Jesus  Christ,  meeting  together  at  Scotch 
Plains,  in  the  County  of  Essex,  Province  of  New  Jersey, 
professing  Believer's  Baptism,  Laying  on  of  Hands,  Eternal 
Election  and  P'inal  Perseverance,"  etc' 

An  amusing  evidence  of  the  violence  of  religious  belief 
of  those  days,  even  in  a  Quaker  colony,  maybe  seen  in  the 
graveyard  of  Trinity  Church,  Oxford,  a  suburb  of  Philadel- 
phia, in  the  inscription  on  the  tombstone  of  Elizabeth,  wife 
of  John  Roberts,  who  died  May  6,  170S,  aged  forty-one  : 

"  Here  by  these  lines  is  testified 
No  Quaker  was  she  when  she  dy'd 
So  far  was  she  from  Quakerism 
That  she  desired  to  have  baptism,"  etc. 

No  Association  of  the  Baptist  Church  has  exerted  for  so 
long  a  period  so  powerful  an  influence,  which,  on  the  whole, 
has  been  eminently  for  good.  In  1742  they  issued  the 
"  Philadelphia  Confession  of  Faith."  This  was  practically  the 
same  as  that  of  the  ancient  Baptists  of  Poland  and  Bohemia, 
of  the  Mennonites  in  Holland,  and  of  the  early  English 
and  Welsh  churches,  and  as  the  "  Century  Confession,"  so 
called  from  its  being  published  by  one  hundred  English 
and  Welsh  Baptist  Churches  in  1689.  To  it  were  added 
Articles  xxiii  and  xxxi,  on  the  "  Imposition  of  Hands  and 
On  Singing  of  Psalms  in  Public  Worship."  It  was  printed 
in  Philadelphia  by  Benjamin  Franklin,  in  1743,  and  I  have 
the  pleasure  of  showing  you  an  original  copy  of  this  edition. 
On  the  title-page  is  written  :  "  Jenkin  Jones  his  book."  He 
was  the  first  pastor  of  our  church  after  the  separation  from 
Pennepek.  I  owe  this  copy  to  the  courtesy  of  its  present 
possessor,  Mr.  Dana  Boardman  Gaskill,  of  Philadelphia. 

Before  proceeding  to  the  history  of  our  constitution  as 
a  separate  church   I   should  mention  one  of  our  most  dis- 

1  Guild's  '■  ISidwii  I'liivcrsilv  ami  Manning,"  p.  33. 


BI-CENTEXNIAL    CELEBRATION.  37 

tinguished  early  members,  Ebenezer  Kinnersley.  He  was 
the  son  of  William  Kinnersley,  and  was  born  in  Gloucester, 
England,  November  30,  171 1.  He  arrived  in  America  in 
17 14,  was  ordained  in  1743,  and  from  time  to  time  assisted 
Jenkin  Jones. 

"  He  was  one  of  the  few,  in  Philadelphia,  who  had  doubts 
in  regard  to  the  character  of  the  preaching,  which  was  in- 
troduced by  Whitefield ;  nor  did  he  hesitate  to  enter  a 
solemn  protest  against  it  from  the  pulpit  of  the  Baptist 
church.  This  happened  on  the  6th  of  July,  1740,  and  the 
excitement  produced  by  the  sermon  was  so  great  that  he 
was  absolutely  forbidden  the  privilege  of  the  Communion. 
For  some  time  he  attended  the  Episcopal  church,  but  ere 
long  the  difficulty  was  settled,  and  when  the  Philadelphia 
Church  was  organized  as  a  distinct  society  from  that  at 
Pennypack,  he  was  one  of  the  constituent  members,  and 
remained  connected  with  it  to  his  death."  ^ 

In  1746  his  attention  was  first  directed  to  the  "electric 
fire,"  as  it  was  then  termed,  and  this  soon  brought  him  into 
touch  with  Benjamin  Franklin,  with  whom  he  was  inti- 
mately associated  in  researches  which  made  both  of  them  so 
famous.  He  was  chosen  a  member  of  the  American  Philo- 
sophical Society,  and  was  elected  Professor  of  the  English 
Tongue  and  Oratory  in  the  University  of  Pennsylvania  in 
1755,  holding  this  position  for  eighteen  years.  He  died 
July  4,  1778.  In  the  College  Building  of  the  University  of 
Pennsylvania  his  name  and  fame  are  perpetuated  by  a 
beautiful  memorial  window. 

The  church  in  Philadelphia  had  slowly  increased  from 
the  nine  members  who  had  coalesced  into  a  church  in  1698 
to  fifty-six  in  the  year  1746. 

Jenkin  Jones,  who  was  born  in  Wales  in  1686,  arrived 
in  this  country  in  1710,  and  united  with  the  Welsh 
Tract   Church,   by  which,  in    1724,  he  was  called   to   the 

1  Spencer,  loc.  cit.,  p.  OS. 


38 
ministry. 


FIRST  BAPTIS'I'  CIILRCII. 


"  He  became  minister  to  Pennepek  in  the  year 
1725  *  *  *  and  had  Mr.  WiUiam  Kinnersley  to  his 
assistant."  About  the  year  1746  the  question  arose  whether 
Philadelphia  was  not  a  branch  church  of  Pennepek,  and 
consequently  whether  the  latter  had  not  a  right  to  part  of 
the  legacies  bestowed  on  the  former. 


"  For  fear  the  design  of  their  benefactors  should  be  per- 
verted, tlic  Church  of  Philadelphia  did,  May  /j,  77^^,  form- 
ally incorporate,  ivhich  had  only  been  done  implicitly  in  Decem- 
ber 16,  i6g8.  The  number  of  persons  that  did  incorporate 
was  fifty-six.     Their  names  were : 


Jenkin  Jones 
Ebenezer  Kinnersley 
William  Branson 
Andrew  Edge 
Thomas  Pearse 
Stephen  Anthony 
Augustin  Stillman 
Samuel  Ashmead 
Mathew  Ingles 
John  Perkins 
John  Standeland 
Robert  Shewell 
John  Biddle 
Joseph  Crean 
Henry  Hartley 
John  Lewis 
Joseph  Ingles 
Samuel  Burkilo 
John  Catla 
Thomas  Byles 
John  Bazeley 
Samuel  Morgan 
Lewis  Rees 
Mary  Standeland 
Hannah  Farmer 
Mary  Catla 
Ann  Yerkes 


Mary  Burkilo 
Mary  Prig 
Hannah  Crean 
Ann  Davis 
Hannah  Bazeley 
Jane  Griffin 
Edith  Bazeley 
Alee  Clark 
Lavinia  Greenman 
Mary  Ball 
Usiaw  Lewis 
Jane  Loxley 
Ester  Ashmead 
Hannah  Jones 
Sarah  Branson 
Catherine  Anthony 
Jane  Pearse 
Mary  Edge 
Mary  Valecot 
Elizabeth  Shewell 
Mary  Middleton 
Frances  Holwell 
Elizabeth  Sallows 
Mary  Morgan 
Ann  Hall 
Phebe  Hartley 
Ann  White"'' 


In  a  paper  published    in  "  Boogher's    Repository"   for 

'  The  full  account  of  the  origin  of  our  Church  given  by  Morgan  Edwards 
("  Materials,"  etc.,  p.  44)  is  republished  as  Appendix  J.  In  it  will  be  found 
a  numljer  of  the  facts  already  i,nven.      The  whole  account  is  most  interesting. 


B I- CENTENNIAL    CELEBRATION. 


39 


March,  1883,  the  late  Horatio  Gates  Jones  published 
another  list  from  a  manuscript  volume  given  to  him  by  a 
daughter  of  Thomas  Ustick,  a  later  pastor,  in  which  the 
number  of  constituents  is  given  as  fifty-eight.  It  is 
curious,  however,  that  both  authors  seem  to  have  mis- 
counted. While  Morgan  Edwards  states  that  the  number 
of  incorporators  was  fifty-six,  only  fifty-four  names  appear 
in  his  list.  Mr.  Jones'  list,  instead  of  containing  fifty-eight 
names,  gives  only  fifty-seven  ;  the  three  names  not  con- 
tained in  Morgan  Edwards'  list  being  those  of  Ruth 
Hovvse,  Elizabeth  Biles,  and  Sarah  North.  Among  these 
names  (and  still  more  true  is  it  of  the  later  list  of  140 
members  in  1770,  given  in  Appendix  J)  appear  many 
with  which  we  have  been  familiar  in  the  history  of  this 
church, — Branson,  Ingles,  Lewis,  Rees,  Davis,  Loxley,  etc., 
— all  representing  names  remembered  by  us  either  for 
their  gifts  to  the  church  or  through  their  descendants  even 
to  our  own  time  after  one  hundred  and  fifty-two  years. 

In  the  records  of  Pennepek,  the  following  is  the  account 
of  the  action  which  led  to  the  constitution  of  our  church 
in  1746 : 

"  April  5,  1746  ;  the  members  of  the  church  at  Pennepek, 
residing  at  the  city  of  Philadelphia,  petitioned  to  the 
monthly  meeting  at  Pennepek  for  a  separation  for  them- 
selves and  for  Mr.  Jenkin  Jones,  the  pastor  of  the  church 
also  (his  residence  being  among  them),  to  answer  which 
the  church  at  Pennepek  took  a  month  to  consider, 

"  May  3,  1746:  The  church  at  Pennepek  having  con- 
sidered their  brethren's  reasons  for  a  separation,  and 
finding  them  to  be  of  weight,  a  dismission  was  granted, 
and  they  were  soon  after  constituted  and  settled  a  regular 
gospel  church,  and  their  messengers  were  received  at  the 
next  annual  Association  at  Philadelphia." 

II.  The  Period  of  Development — 1746  to  1816. 
Jenkin   Jones,  who   had  been  joint  pastor  of  Pennepek 


40  FIRST  BAPTIST  CHURCH. 

aiul  Philadelphia  for  twenty-one  years,  but  who  had  re- 
sided chiefly  in  Philadelphia,  left  the  parent  church  and 
became  tlie  sole  minister  of  the  Philadelphia  Church  upon 


^                              Tlu-    Ui'x'                                          ^H 

M'- JEN  KIN   JONES             ^H 

lioic  Mmi'ii^)-  r,r   \\\\     U.iimli    Church      ^^H 

ii)                                                  ^^H 

h.    wliic!'.    X.iiion    In:    tpriW                 ^^| 

^H 

III    cii'lt  .i\  i>ill'.s    tut    lh<'  |ii'<>n\i)lioi)         ^^H 

■ '  !(.•    Clirifthin  Hfi/i^ion                    ^^H 

\iiil    iiKiH    Uilui\<.'    H.'in|)ni>'l>                 ^^H 

^H 

III.                                  ^^k 

'     IM'-^  H  \  \  >>.\ll    JON  r.  S             ^1 

Willi    wKuMi     Ik      Itail     lived                  ^H 

III    iiKiKini    !,<i\i'                             ^H 

.\lier    ..►■i  inrminq-    tl.e    l>i>il     .il'                   ^H 

1                   _\i!     iilferfldiuile     l''i/i                                   ^H 

A   ..i,».'l      !V.;yA/»,w/r                                 ^1 

\],A    ,-,    Ini..!   /'ri^n.d                             H 

Di^d     M.-.v     iIm;     .■'.()"'    \    1)     1  /.■■.  N              ■ 

III      ll..      ^:r"'    \c:>r     nl       llr,                                    ■ 

1 

'11 1(1     lV|;nl>lt     IS     eieclHil                        H 

In    iiu'iiiur^    <>t    tlieir  ituituiil  AlV(i(:;ti(in      ^^k 

I'ltal    tNnfi;    wliii     \Mire    '])>    lifr    unite;!            ^| 

Nhi^4i'    (Hit    W'!    !c|>r  I'.it,  (i     iH                       H 

I 

■v-^p^H^^^^B  ''^H 

F:g.  :o. — Tombstone  of  Jenkin  Jonks,  Originally  in  the  Old  Bi  rial-ground 
IN  Lagrange  Place. 

[Kindly  photographed  by  Mr.  Thornton  M.  Lynch.] 


BI-CENTENNIAL    CELEBRATION.  41 

its  constitution  in  1746.  Here  he  served  as  pastor  for 
fifteen  years.  He  died  in  Philadelphia  July  6,  1760,  and 
lies  in  our  burying-ground  at  Mount  Moriah.  Figure  10 
is  from  a  photograph  of  his  tombstone.  His  services  to  our 
church  are  thus  enumerated  by  Morgan  Edwards:  ^ 

"  I.  He  secured  to  them  the  possession  of  their  valuable 
lot  and  place  of  worship  before  described.^ 

"2.  He  was  the  moving  cause  of  altering  the  direction 
of  licenses  so  as  to  enable  dissenting  ministers  to  perform 
marriages  by  them. 

"3.  He  built  a  parsonage  house  partly  at  his  own 
charge  [for  which  John  Swift  bequeathed  ^^50  additional]. 

"4.  He  gave  a  handsome  legacy  towards  purchasing  a 
silver  cup  for  the  Lord's  table,  which  was  worth  upwards 
of  £6or  ■' 

After  the  death  of  Jenkin  Jones  the  church  sent  a  letter 
to  London  to  Dr.  Gill,  the  celebrated  Bible  commentator, 
asking  that  a  minister  be  recommended  to  them.  Mr. 
John  Gano,  in  his  autobiography,  says  that  our  church 
"  had  been  so  particular  in  the  requisite  qualifications  for  a 
minister  that  it  had  given  offense  to  the  preachers;  so  that 
they  were  entirely  destitute."  In  this  dilemma  they  applied 
to  Mr.  Gano,  asking  him  to  visit  them,  and  also  to  Mr. 
Miller,  from  Scotch  Plains,  and  to  Samuel  Stillman,  a  native 
of  Philadelphia,  who  had  removed  to  South  Carolina,  and 
later  was  so  distinguished  in  Boston.  Mr.  Gano  visited 
them,  and  at  the  same  time  supplied  the  Baptist  Church  in 

^  P-  47- 

2  Two  of  the  deeds  are  :  (l)  For  a  lot,  37  feet  6  inches  north  from  From- 
berger's  Court  (the  earlier  name  of  Lagrange  Place),  from  John  Holme  to 
Jenkin  Jones,  William  Branson,  and  Andrew  Edge  ;  seventeen  feet  6  inches 
by  300  feet;  dated  March  I,  1731  ;  recorded  in  Deed  Book  56,  p.  53. 
(2)  The  adjoining  lot,  25  feet  6  inches,  from  Mary  Broadway,  Joan  Lee,  and 
Jane  Taylor  to  Jenkin  Jones,  John  Holme,  and  William  Branson;  dated  June 
23,  1727  ;  recorded  in  Deed  Book  56,  p.  338.  See  Minute  Book  B  of  the 
Trustees,  p.  332,  January  5,  1S52. 

^  See  later,  under  Communion  Service. 


42 


I-IKST  BAPTIST  CHURCH. 


New  York,  preaching   two   Sundays  in   each   place.     He 
spent  the  winter  here,  and  was  followed  by  Mr.  Stillman. 

In  I76i,in  response  to  their  letter,  from  Great  Britain 
came  Morgan  Edwards,  a  man  who  was  to  fill  a  large 
place  in  the  history  not  only  of  this  church,  but  of  the 
entire  Baptist  Church  in  America,  leaving  a  mark  both  in 
letters,  education,  executive  ability,  and  personal  influence 
such  as  few  have  ever  made.  His  is  one  of  the  most 
illustrious    names    in   the   line  of   distinguished   men   who 


Fig.  11.— Coat  ok  Arms  of  Morgan  Edwards.    The  Motto  in  Welsh  rkads 

"God's  Will  be  Done." 

[Rrprodiiced  thrungh  the  kindness  of  Mr.  E.  R.  Siewers,  his  great-s7-andsnn.] 


have  ministered  to  this  church.  "  In  his  day,"  says  Cath- 
cart,  "  no  Baptist  minister  equaled  him,  and  none  since 
his  time  has  surpassed  him."  Figures  ii  and  12  are 
from  photographs  of  his  coat  of  arms  and  other  relics.' 

'  AH  of  these  are  due  to  the  gre.at  kindne.si  of  Mr.  E.  R.  Siewers,  of 
Phila(iel])hia,  his  great-grandson.  I  have  specially  sought  -for  a  portrait  of 
Morgan  Edwards,  but  so  far  without  success.  I  should  be  under  lasting 
obligations  to  any  one  who  can  assist  me  in  finding  it  if  in  existence.  Brown 
University  is  equally  desirous  of  obtaining  a  portrait  of  her  founder.      I   am 


B I- CENTENNIAL    CELEBRA  TION. 


43 


In  1756  a  second  attempt  at  providing  education  especi- 
ally for  Baptist  clergymen  was  made  when  Jenkin  Jones, 


Fig.  12. — Green  Spectacles,  Seal  Ring,  Watch-key,  and  Cane.     Relics  of 

Morgan  Edwards. 

\Photographed  by  the  kindness  of  E.  R.  Siewers,  Esq.,  his  gi  eai-grandsou.] 


our  pastor,  was  Moderator  of  the  Philadelphia  Association. 
It  was — 

"Concluded  to   raise  money  towards  the   encouragement 

also  very  anxious  to  procure  a  portrait  of  Jenlvin  Jones,  our  first  separate  pastor. 
These  two  portraits  are  the  only  two  lacking  from  1746  to  1898.  There  seems 
to  have  existed  a  portrait  of  Elias  Keach,  the  founder  of  Pennepek,  for  Mor- 
gan Edwards  ("  Materials,"  etc.,  p.  109)  speaks  of  "a  book  of  his  containing 
a  confession  of  faith,  a  church  covenant,  treatise  of  discipline,  etc.  To  this 
book  is  prefixed  his  ejigies,''''  etc.  Any  reader  who  may  help  to  find  this 
portrait  would  confer  an  especial  favor. 


44 


FIRST  BAPTJSr  CIIUKCIL 


nieiit  of  a  Latin  Grammar  School  for  the  promotion  of 
learning  among  us  under  the  care  of  Brother  Isaac  Eaton 
and  the  inspection  of  Brethren  Abel  Morgan,  Isaac  Stella, 
Abel  Griffith,  and  Peter  Peterson  Vanhorn." 

It  is  also  the  more  to  their  credit  that  this  was  done  at  a 
meeting  at  which  charitable  contributions  toward  the  relief 
of  one  Mr.  Daniel  Eaton,  who  was  "  driven  from  his  position 
by  the  Indians,"  were  solicited.  This  school  was  established 
at  Hopewell,  N.  J.,  and  as  soon  as  Morgan  Edwards  arrived 
in  this  country  he  quickly  lent  his  powerful  aid  to  the 
school.  P>en  before  he  came,  our  Minutes  note,  on  April 
12,  1760,  that  "  Mr.  Talbot  preached  with  great  warmth. 
He  was  the  first  fruite  of  Hopewell  School." 

Moreover,  James  Manning,  the  first  President  of  Brown 
University,  and  Samuel  Stillman — both  of  whom  supplied 
our  church  for  a  time — were  pupils  of  the  Academy,  and 
the  brethren  appointed  to  inspect  it  had  all  preached 
repeatedly  for  us.  This  Abel  Morgan  was  the  nephew  of 
the  other  Abel  Morgan,  who  had  been  the  predecessor 
of  Jenkin  Jones  at  Pennepek. 

In  1757,  and  again  in  1758,  the  school  was  commended 
to  the  churches  of  the  Association. 

The  records  show  that  on  September  15.  1760,  Mr. 
Edwards  was  invited  to  become  pastor  of  our  church,  and 
on  July  I,  1 76 1,  he  was  received  into  its  fellowship.  The 
educational  impulse  which  his  arrival  gave  was  very  notice- 
able. He  was  an  apt  Greek  and  Hebrew  scholar,  and  was 
one  among  only  about  seven  or  eight  Baptist  clergymen 
supplying  the  sixty  churches  then  existing  in  this  country, 
who  were  liberally  educated.  In  1762  the  University  of 
Pennsylvania  bestowed  upon  him  the  degree  of  Master  of 
Arts,  which  perhaps  accounts  for  the  following  Minute, 
made  April  30,  i  "j^i : 

"  Mr.  Edwards  desires  to  know  the  sense  of  the  church 
relative  to  his  wearing  a  master's  gown  in  the  common 


Bl-  CENTENNIA  L    CEL  EBRA  TION.  ^  5 

services  of  the  church  ;  for  as  to  wearing  of  it  abroad,  and 
on  special  occasions  (he  said)  he  intended  to  use  his  right 
and  own  discretion.  The  church  desired  him  to  use  his 
liberty,  and  that  wearing  or  not  wearing  it  would  give  no 
ofence  to  the  church." 

In  1769  Brown  University  conferred  upon  him  the  same 
degree. 

Even  in  those  early  days,  with  a  small  church,  but  with 
the  necessity  for  traveling  over  a  large  area  of  our 
country,  Mr.  Edwards  did  not  feel  himself  able  to  carry  on 
the  work  alone,  and,  accordingly,  Mr.  Stephen  Watts  was 
chosen  as  his  assistant,  July  2,  1763.  Moreover,  on  Septem- 
ber 3,  1763,  "  Mr.  Edwards  observed  that  it  was  not  in  his 
power  to  prepare  three  discourses  a  week;  upon  which  he 
was  desired  to  use  sermons  that  had  been  delivered  before  " 
— a  privilege  our  ministers  now  sometimes  take  without  a 
vote  of  the  church. 

No  sooner  did  Mr.  Edwards  arrive  in  this  country  than 
the  denomination  showed  the  results  of  his  restless  intel- 
lectual activity.  He  was  received  into  the  church  July  I, 
1 76 1.  On  the  following  October,  with  Peter  Peterson 
Vanhorn,  he  was  appointed  to  take  care  of  the  Associa- 
tion's books  of  records  and  to  keep  the  Minutes,  the  book- 
to  be  kept  safely  in  Philadelphia.  Mr.  Edwards  and  Isaac 
Jones  were  appointed  Librarians,  to  receive  the  books  sent 
by  Mr.  Thomas  Hollis  and  to  loan  them  out.  Mr.  Edwards 
and  Peter  Peterson  Vanhorn  were  appointed  a  Committee 
to  conduct  a  correspondence  with  the  Board  of  Baptist 
Ministers  in  London,  and  to  Mr.  Edwards  each  church 
was  asked  to  send  a  memorandum  of  the  number  of  cate- 
chisms they  desired,  so  that  the  proper  number  could  be 
printed. 

As  soon  as  he  arrived,  he  collected  our  minutes  back  to 
February  4,  1757,  copied  them  into  a  large  book,  and  him- 
self continued  to  record  them  down  to  1769.    They  are  all 


46  FIR  ST  BAPTIST  CHURCH. 

most  neatly  written  in  his  beautiful  and  legible  chiro- 
graphy.  He  provided  at  once  a  large,  parchment-bound 
marriage  book,  in  which  all  the  marriages  have  since  been 
recorded.  Both  of  these  books  are  described  below,  and 
one  page  of  each  is  reproduced  in  facsimile. 

In  1763  he  preached  a  sermon  "  in  the  College  of  Phila- 
delphia at  the  ordination  of  Rev.  Samuel  Jones,  A.B.," 
of  which  a  copy  has  been  kindly  lent  me  by  E.  C. 
Heritage,  of  the  Lower  Dublin  Church,  through  Rev.  T. 
P.  Holloway.  To  it  is  appended  the  full  formula  of  the 
Ordination,  which  is  so  different  from  what  now  obtains, 
and  in  many  respects  is  so  quaint  that  I  have  reprinted  it  in 
Appendix  K. 

Moreover,  this  year,  for  the  first  time,  the  Minutes  of 
the  Association  have  a  table  showing  the  "  State  of  the 
Churches,"  which  was  added  by  Edwards.  This  is  inter- 
esting as  showing  that  Pennepek  had  50  members  and  300 
hearers ;  Philadelphia,  82  members  and  700  hearers.  Six 
churches  exceeded  Philadelphia  in  the  number  of  mem- 
bers, but  only  one — the  Scotch  Plains  Church — exceeded 
Philadelphia  in  the  number  of  hearers,  it  having  800. 

In  1762  Edwards  was  appointed  Moderator  of  the  Asso- 
ciation. Owing  to  the  rebuilding  of  our  church,  then  going 
on,  the  Association  met  at  the  Lutheran  church,  on  Fifth 
Street  between  Arch  and  Race,  "  where  the  sound  of  the 
organ  was  heard  in  the  Baptist  worship." 

Though  it  does  not  appear  in  the  Minutes  of  the  Asso- 
ciation, yet  under  the  inspiration  of  Morgan  Edwards, 
and  almost  immediately  after  his  arrival  plans  were 
begun  for  the  establishment  of  a  Baptist  College.'  I 
have  spoken  of  the  lack  of  education  among  the  ministry 
of  the  church  at  that  time.  This  was  one  of  the  principal 
motives  which  led  Morgan  Edwards  and  his  co-workers  to 

1  Newman's  "  History  of  the  Baptist  Churches  in  tlie  United  States," 
p.  276. 


BI-CENTENXIAL    CELEBRATION.  47 

the  foundation  and  fostering  of  Hopewell  Academy,  and 
from  that  to  Brown  University.  It  was  a  bold  and  brave 
thing  to  establish  a  college  for  Baptists  chiefly,  when  there 
were  in  the  entire  country  less  than  seventy  churches  and 
only  5000  Baptists.^  In  1764,  largely  through  the  instru- 
mentality of  Mr.  Edwards,  the  charter  of  Brow^i  Univer- 
sity, then  called  Rhode  Island  College,  was  secured, 
and  in  the  following  October  the  Association,  noting  that 
the  charter  was  already  obtained,  urged  the  churches  to  be 
liberal  toward  carrying  the  same  into  execution.  Similar 
action  was  afterward  repeatedly  urged,  on  one  occasion 
going  so  far  as  to  ask  that  each  member  give  "  sixpence 
sterling"  toward  sustaining  it. 

The  beginning  of  the  college  was  as  modest  as  its  pro- 
jectors were  bold.  Edwards  says  :  "  The  first  mover  of  it 
was  laughed  at  as  the  projector  of  a  thing  impracticable, 
and  many  promised  not  concurrence  but  opposition." 
In  1765  the  first  student  of  the  college  entered,  and 
graduated  in  1769  at  the  first  Commencement.  He  was  a 
boy  of  fourteen,  named  William  Rogers,  later  destined  to 
become  the  immediate  successor  of  Morgan  Edwards  in 
the  pastorate  of  our  church  and  one  of  the  distinguished 
men  of  the  Revolutionary  period. 

It  is  curious  to  note  the  constitution  of  the  college  at 
this  time.  The  Corporation,  consisting  of  the  Fellows  and 
the  Trustees,  numbered  forty-eight.^  The  entire  Faculty 
consisted  of  one  person,  James  Manning,  and  the  entire  col- 
lege for  nine  months  and  seventeen  days  consisted  of  this 
one  student,  William  Rogers.  Other  students,  however, 
soon  followed,  and  Morgan  Edwards  himself  sent  one  of 
his  sons  to  the  Grammar  School  connected  with  the  col- 

1  Guild's  "  Brown  University  and  Manning,"  pp.  19,  20. 

2  This  was  the  charter  number,  but  the  actual  number  qualified  was  some- 
what less. 


48  FIRST  BAPTIST  CHURCH. 

lege.      At   the  second   Cominencement,  in    1770,  Mr.  Ed- 
wards' son  is  thus  mentioned  : 

"  The  members  of  the  Grammar  School  joined  in  the 
procession.  Before  the  assembly  broke  up  a  piece  from 
Homer  was  pronounced  by  Master  Billy  Edwards,  one  of 
the  Grammar  School  boys,  not  nine  years  of  age."' 

Poor  Billy  Edwards  ! " 

On  February  2,  1767,  the  church  granted  Mr.  Edwards 
leave  to  go  to  Europe  in  aid  of  Rhode  Island  College. 
He  remained  abroad  two  years,  and  collected  in  ELngland 
and  Ireland  about  $5000  for  the  infant  college,  of  which 
he  was  a  Fellow  from  1764  to  1789. 

While  Brown  University  owes  its  origin  to  this  church, 
this  church  in  turn  owes  a  large  debt  to  the  University. 
Not  only  was  James  Manning,  its  first  President,  one  of 
our  preachers,  but  its  first  graduate,  William  Rogers,  and 
four  later  pastors,  Ustick,  Holcombe,  Brantly,  and  Board- 
man,  were  all  graduates  of  the  University,  to  say  nothing  of 
the  individual  members  of  the  church  who  have  there 
received  their  education. 

Edwards  was  not  only  a  prominent  mover  in  education, 

'  Sears'  Historical  Discourse  at  the  Centennial  Celebration  of  Brown 
University,  1S64,  p.  8. 

2  Through  the  kindness  of  E.  R.  Siewers,  Esq.,  of  riiiladeliihia,  a  great- 
grandson  of  Morgan  Edwards,  I  am  allowed  to  quote  the  following  from  a 
brief  autobiography  of  his  grandfather,  Joshua,  the  younger  of  the  two  sons 
of  Morgan  Edwards,  who  survived  to  adult  life.  It  is  most  interesting  as 
showing  the  educational  customs  of  the  times.  It  shows  that  Jo-^hua,  as  well 
as  his  brother  "  Billy,"  had  a  pretty  hard  time  in  his  early  schciol  days  : 

"Owing  to  either  his  father's  settled  opinion  that  education  can  not  be 
commenced  too  soon,  nor  too  actively  carried  forward;  or  to  tlie  influence  of  a 
very  cordial  friendship  that  subsisted  between  that  careful  guardian  and  a  Rev. 
Mr  Kinnersley,  who  then  occupied,  with  great  reputation,  the  Professor's  Chair 
of  the  Academical  department  of  the  Philadelphia  College, —  the  narrator  was, 
at  the  dawning  of  his  seventh  year,  placed  in  that  classical  seminary,  the 
rules  of  which  were  absolute;  its  discipline  rigid,  its  exercises  measured  out 
by  a  liberal  scale  and  exactness  of  performance  insisted  upon.  .  .  During 
Summer  two  extra  hours  of  attend.mce,  from  six  to  eight  in  the  morning,  and 
even  the  holydays  had  their  prescribed  tasks." 


BI-  CENTENA'/AL    CELEBRA  EI  ON. 


49 


but  also  in  the  physical  condition  of  the  church.  The  old 
brick  meeting-house,  erected  on  the  site  of  the  wooden 
Keithian  building  in  1 731,  in  its  turn  was  pulled  down,  and 
another  brick  church,  42  by  60  feet,  erected.  While  these 
alterations  were  being  made  the  meetings  of  the  church 
were  held  in  the  College  of  Pliiladelphia  (now  the  Univer- 
sity of  Pennsylvania)  during  a  part  of  1762-63. 

In  1770  Edwards  again  manifested  his  literary  activity 
by  publishing  his  "Materials  toward  a  History  of  the 
American  Baptists,"  in  twelve  volumes,  of  which  I  show 
you  a  copy  of  the  first  volume,  kindly  loaned  by  Deacon 
Clevenger.  The  materials  for  this  work  he  collected  on 
his  numerous  journeys  as  far  north  as  New  England,  and 
as  far  south  as  the  Carolinas.  It  is  remarkable  how  accu- 
rate and  how  full  all  his  statements  are.  In  fact,  this  work 
is  a  storehouse  of  knowledge  from  which  all  later  his- 
torians have  drawn.  Had  this  volume  never  appeared,  the 
history  of  our  church  down  to  the  time  of  Edwards  would 
scarcely  be  known. 

In  1770  a  striking  event  occurred  in  his  life.  On 
January  i,  1770,  he  preached  a  sermon  on  the  text  "This 
year  thou  shalt  die."  '  It  arose  from  his  strong  presentiment 
since   March  9,  1755,  that   March  9,  1770,  was  to  be  the 

1  A  copy  of  lliis  sermon  in  the  Philadelphia  Library  reads  : 
'■  A  New  Year's  Gift 

"  IJeing  a  sermon  delivered  at  Philadelphia  on  January  1st,  1770  and  pub- 
lished for  rectifying  some  wrong  reports  and  preventing  others  of  the  like  sort, 
but  chiefly  for  the  sake  of  giving  it  another  chance  of  doing  good  to  them  who 
heard  it.  By  Morgan  Edwards,  A.M.,  Pillow  of  Rhode  Island  College,  and 
Minister  of  the  Baptist  Church  in  Philadelphia.  Printed  by  Crukshank,  in  2nd 
Street,  two  doors  below  Chestnut  Street." 

In  this  sermon  he  alludes  to  a  gentleman  (himself)  who  "on  the  9th  day 
of  March,  1755  was  seized  with  a  persuasion  that  at  the  end  of  full  fifteen 
years  from  that  time  he  should  be  dead.  The  impression  was  sudden  and 
strong  ;  so  strong  as  not  to  leave  a  doubt  respecting  the  issue  and  has 
continued  the  same  to  this  day."  .  .  And  again:  "  It  is  certain,  morally^ 
that  someone  of  us  will  die  this  year.  .  .  There  is  among  you  one  who 
firmly  believes  that  he  is  the  man." 
4 


50 


FIRST  BAPTIST  CHURCH. 


last  day  of  his  life.  So  vivid  was  his  sermon  that  every 
one  was  on  the  tiptoe  of  expectation  lest  every  breath 
should  be  his  last.    He  was,  however,  of  large  frame  and  in 


Bt.v.MORGA.\  EDWARDS  A.M. 

PAslor    oi'   tVvc     first  Tl^xplist   church  nf 
Ph  ilci  clejp  h  ici 
V  or     ole-vnn     ypnrs 

Aoo,i  7:;  voM.. 


Fig.  13.— Tombstone  of  Morgan  Edwards,  Originally  in  the  Old  Burial- 
ground  IN  Lagrange  Place. 
IKindly  photographed  by  Mr.  Thornton  M.  Lviich.] 


BI-CENTENNIAL    CELEBRATION.  51 

vigorous  health,  and  in  spite  of  his  fears  these  carried  him 
through  hfe  for  twenty-five  years  longer,  as  he  did  not  die 
until  1795. 

The  latter  part  of  his  life  was  much  clouded  by  two 
misfortunes.  He  was  the  only  Baptist  clergyman  in 
America  who  sided  with  the  mother-country  in  the  Revo- 
lutionary War,  and  one  of  his  sons,  "  Master  Billy,"  became 
a  colonel  in  the  British  army.'  The  Committee  of  Safety 
ordered  him  to  be  secured  as  a  dangerous  person,  but  one 
of  our  fellow-members,  General  Miles, — an  ancestor  of  the 
late  Colonel  Chas.  H.  Banes,  and  a  very  prominent  Baptist 
at  that  time, — Chairman  of  the  Committee,  and  later  Mayor 
of  Philadelphia,  hid  him  in  his  own  house,  and  then  ex- 
pedited the  officers  on  their  way.  On  August  7,  1775,  how- 
ever, Edwards  signed  a  recantation  of  his  Tory  principles, 
as  follows : 

"  At  a  meeting  of  the  Committee  of  White  Clay  Creek, 
at  Mr.  Henry  Darby's,  in  New  York,  August  7th,  1775, 
William  Patterson,  Esq.,  being  in  the  chair,  when  the  Rev, 
Morgan  Edwards  attended  and  signed  the  following  recan- 
tation, which  was  voted  satisfactory,  namely  : 

"  Whereas,  I  have  some  time  since  frequently  made  use 
of  rash  and  imprudent  expressions  with  respect  to  the  con- 
duct of  my  fellow-countrymen,  who  are  now  engaged  in  a 
noble  and  patriotic  struggle  for  the  liberties  of  America, 
against  the  arbitrary  measures  of  the  British  ministry ; 
which  conduct  has  justly  raised  their  resentment  against 
me,  I  now  confess  that  I  have  spoken  wrong,  for  which  I 

'  As  ail  offset  to  this,  the  younger  brother,  Joshua,  served  in  the  American 
navy.  Mr.  Sievvers,  Joshua's  grandson,  has  a  certificate  from  the  Bureau  of 
Pensions  showing  that  this  son,  Joshua,  served  in  1782  for  a  year  as  surgeon's 
mate  on  the  "  Ilyder  Ally"  (sixteen  guns)  and  the  "Due  de  Lauzon  " 
(twenty  guns)  of  the  American  navy,  for  which  service  he  received  a  jiension 
in  1832,  when  sixty-eight  years  of  age.  He  died  February  9,  1854,  at  ninety 
years  of  age,  having  received  his  pension  until  his  death.  Mr.  Siewers,  then 
a  boy  of  nine,  remembers  him  very  well.  Morgan  Edwards  lived  at  No.  40 
North  Second  Street,  in  the  immediate  neighborhood  of  the  church. 


52  FIRST  BAPTIST  CHURCH. 

am  sorry  and  ask  forijiveness  of  the  public.  And  I  do 
promise  that  for  the  future  I  will  conduct  myself  in  such 
manner  as  to  avoid  givinij  offense,  and  at  the  same  time,  in 
justice  to  myself,  declare  that  I  am  a  friend  to  the  present 
measures  pursued  by  the  friends  of  American  liberty,  and 
do  approve  of  them,  and,  as  far  as  is  in  my  power,  will 
endeavor  to  promote  them.  •      Morgan  Edwards."  ' 

In  1781  (July  2d)  our  Minutes  show  that  char<;es  were 
preferred  against  him  for"  Imorral  Conduct,  and  Disorderly 
walk,"  the  specifications  being  "  Inatention  to  publick  wor- 
ship. Joining  yourselfe  with  Drunkards,  Frequenting 
Taverns,  Being  often  Intoxicated." 

On  December  3d  Mr.  Edwards,  in  a  public  meeting  of  the 
church  denied  entirely  the  first  charge,  and  as  to  the  second 
"  Replyed  that  for  2  years  and  6  Months  past  he  haid  not 
ben  Any  way  Intoxicated  with  Liquuer,  Except  one  time 
that  he  had  ben  Deceived  in  taking  Bark  quallifyed  in 
Spirits,  for  a  faver,  by  the  Docter's  Direction  ...  he 
Acknowledged  that  some  time  before  that  already  Men- 
tioned, he  had  ben  overtaken  with  Liquer,  that  he  was 
sorry  for  it,  and  had  prayed  for  forgiveness  .  .  .  and 
that  as  to  the  Company  he  kept,  they  were  by  no  Means 
Drunkards,  But  on  the  Contrary  they  were  men  of  the 
Best  Reputtation  in  that  part  of  the  Countray." 

After  much  discussion  of  the  evidence  taken,  on  July  4, 
1785  (it  will  be  noticed  that  the  national  holiday  was  not 
observed),  he  was  finally  excluded  from  the  church  because 
of  his  persistence  in  his  use  of  spirituous  liquors.  The 
Minutes  show  that  remembering  his  great  services  this  was 
done  most  regretfully,  but  under  a  painful  sense  of  duty, 
and  was  unanimously  agreed  to.  The  Minister  was  re- 
quested to  read  and  execute  the  same  on  the  afternoon  of 
the  Lord's  Day,  July  24,  1785.  From  that  time  he  made 
repeated  efforts  to  be  restored.     The  church  always  inves- 

1  Cliiild's  "  Brown  University  and  Manning,"  p.   l6. 


BI-CENTEXNIAL    CELEBRATION.  53 

tigated  his  conduct,  but  finding  that  he  had  not  been 
repentant  for  a  sufficiently  long  time,  or  that  unfavorable 
accounts  had  been  received,  or  that  his  testimonials  of  good 
conduct  were  not  deemed  sufficient,  his  request  was  refused 
until  October  6,  1788,  when  he  was  again  received  into  the 
church. 

I  have  detailed  this  at  some  length  in  spite  of  its  un- 
pleasantness, for  the  reason  that,  although  the  use  of  ardent 
spirits  was  then  almost  universal,  it  shows  that  the  church 
as  a  body  early  took  a  stand  in  favor  of  temperance,  and 
did  not  hesitate,  even  in  the  case  of  by  far  her  most  dis- 
tinguished clergyman,  to  carry  to  a  logical  conclusion  the 
discipline  of  the  church  in  cases  of  drunkenness. 

Not  only  were  they  strict  disciplinarians  as  to  intoxica- 
tion, but,  on  occasion,  they  spoke  their  mind  very  freely. 
For  instance,  on  September  4,  1762,  we  find  the  following 
minute  : 

"  Dr.  G.  Weed  proposed  to  preach  for  us  occasionally. 
The  thing  was  considered  and  this  answer  returned. 
'  The  church  return  our  Brother  Weed  thanks  for  his  desire 
to  serve  the  church  ;  but  would  defer  the  proposal  until 
they  see  it  necessare  to  invite  Mr.  Weed  thereto.'  The 
doctor  was  not  pleased  and  said  y'  was  like  a  trick  which 
Dr.  Faustus  played  with  the  Devil." 

Later,  April  2,  1763,  the  church  found  fault  with  Weed 
for  preaching  in  the  hospital  as  a  minister  when  not 
ordained,  saying  they  "  knew  our  Bro.  Weed  well,  yet  are 
not  willing  to  know  minister  Weed."  They  reminded  him 
also  of  his  former  invidious  comparison ;  but  still  later, 
they  made  him  two  presents  oi  £\2  and  £\^  respectively 
to  help  him  in  the  study  of  divinity. 

On  July  8,  177 1,  Morgan  Edwards,  in  view  of  his  declin- 
ing age  (though  he  was  not  quite  fifty),  proposed  to  the 
church  "that  they  should  look  out  for  a  popular  preacher," 
and  that  he  would  resign  half  his  salary  in  order  to  enable 


54  FIRST  BAI'TIST  CHURCH. 

the  church  to  pay  him,  and  offered  to  aid  them  to  find  one 
either  in  Europe  or  America,  and  meantime  he  would  con- 
tinue to  serve  them — a  very  generous  offer  in  view  of  the 
fact  that  on  the  19th  day  of  August  a  committee  reported 
that  the  church  was  indebted  to  him  in  the  sum  of 
/"392  5s.,  for  which  he  generously  agreed  to  take  £2\6 
13s.  4d.  as  full  payment,  provided  it  was  met  within  six 
months.  The  committee  recommended  that  his  salary 
should  cease  from  this  date,  and  that  a  subscription  should 
be  raised  in  order  to  pay  him,  which  was  done  October  7th. 

The  preponderance  of  the  Welsh  element  in  the  early 
history  of  the  Philadelphia  Association,  and  especially  of 
our  own  church,  is  worthy  of  note.  Of  the  first  six  joint 
pastors  of  Pennepek  and  Philadelphia,  three — Samuel 
Jones  and  both  the  Morgans — were  Welshmen,  to  whom 
are  to  be  added  their  immediate  successors,  Jenkin  Jones 
and  Morgan  Edwards.  Their  force  of  character  counted 
for  far  more  than  their  mere  numbers.  To  this  fact  is  due 
the  sturdy  Calvinistic  faith,  which  was  characteristic  not 
only  of  our  own,  but  of  nearly  all  the  churches  of  the 
Philadelphia  Association.  P2ven  so  late  as  February  14, 
1 83 1,  separate  services  in  the  Welsh  language  were  held 
in  our  church.  The  Welsh  names  at  present  so  familiar 
on  the  line  of  the  Pennsylvania  Railroad  bear  witness  to 
the  many  Welshmen  who  settled  in  this  vicinity. 

On  January  6,  1772,  a  committee  was  appointed  to  ask 
Rev.  Samuel  Stillman  (a  Philadelphian  by  birth)  to  supply 
the  church  as  their  stated  minister,  and  in  a  letter  they 
refer  "  to  the  populousness  of  this  great  city  "  as  "  well 
known  to  him."  In  view  of  the  fact  that  at  that  time  the 
population  was  not  much  over  30,000,  it  naturally  causes 
a  smile  when  we  recall  our  present  population.  It  is 
noticeable,  also,  that  in  this  same  letter  to  Mr.  Stillman  they 
carefully  specify  the  exact  means  of  support,  as  follows  : 


BI-CENTENNIAL    CELEBRATION.  55 

''  Our  Funds  for  the  support  of  a  Minister  are  the  per- 
sonage, or  £\o  p.  ann.  in  lieu  thereof  if  more  agreeable, 
the  nioney  arising  from  the  pews  w"'*  if  all  let  as  we  doubt 
not  they  soon  wo''  be  on  your  Settlement  amongst  us  amo' 
to  upwards  of  Two  hun''  and  thirty  pounds  a  Year,  ;^io 
p.  ann.  from  the  legacy  of  W"  Branson  &  Six  pounds  from 
Sarah  Smith  Donation,  this  is  all  apropriated  for  the 
Minister." 

Mr.  Stillman,  unfortunately,  declined  to  come,  and  on 
November  7,  1771,  a  call  for  "  the  trial  of  your  gifts  for 
the  winter  season  "  was  sent  to  Mr.  William  Rogers  (Fig. 
14),  though  he  was  then  not  twenty-one  years  old  and  had 
only  graduated  from  Brown  University  in  1769,  at  eighteen 
years  of  age.  His  visit  having  proved  satisfactory,  on 
March  4,  1772,  a  large  number  of  the  brethren  of  the 
church  and  the  "  well  wishers,"  as  the  congregation  very 
frequently  were  called,  met  to  extend  a  call  to  him  "for 
three  years  certain  from  this  time,  and  as  long  afterwards 
as  he,  and  the  Congregation  may  in  future  agree,"  It  is  a 
strange  custom  that  the  early  ministers  often  seem  to  have 
been  called  for  a  very  specific  short  time.  But  Rogers 
was  unwilling  to  bind  himself  for  three  years,  and  on  May 
4,  1772,  "  Mr.  Rogers,  being  present,  said  that  he  willingly 
accepted  the  call  of  this  Church  and  Congregation  for  oiie 
year  certain  from  the  4th  of  March  last  and  as  long  after- 
wards as  he  and  the  Church  and  Congregation  may  agree." 

Although  there  were  other  neighboring  churches,  yet  it 
is  noted  that — 

"  Isaac  Jones  by  special  appointment  of  the  whole  Church 
and  Congregation  gave  the  right  hand  of  fellowship  to  Mr. 
William  Rogers  admitting  him  a  member  and  minister  of 
this  Church  and  Congregation  agreeably  to  the  terms 
above  mentioned." 

On  December  5,  1774,  Mr.  Rogers  gave  notice  that  he 
had  "  determined  to  leave  us  at  the  time  Ids  year  is  up  which 
will  be  on  the  4th  of  March   next."     This  was  due  to  the 


56 


FIRST  BAPTIST  ClILiRCH. 


fact  that  he  was  about  to  enter  the  service  of  his  country  ; 
for  in  March,  1776,  he  was  appointed  sole  chaplain  of  three 
battalions  of  foot  raised  by  the  General  Assembly  of  Penn- 


KlG.    14.  —  Re\'.    WlM.IA.M    RoGKRS,    D.U. 

\From  Rippon's  "Baptist  Annual  Rfgistcr,^'  ijgS-iSoi,    I'ol.  III.     Kindly  lent  by 
Broivii  Vnivei'sily.\ 


sylvania,  and  in  January,  1778,  he  was  appointed  brigade 
chaplain  of  the  Continental  army,  which  office  he  continued 
to  hold  until  June,  1781,  when  he  retired  from  the  military 
service. 


BICENTENNIAL    CELEBRATION.  57 

During  Rogers'  pastorate  the  congregation  largely  in- 
creased, and  he  drew  men  like  Dr.  Benjamin  Rush  to  the 
church.  Naturally,  he  was  thrown  into  intimate  and  cordial 
relations  with  Washington. 

Even  while  in  the  army  he  still  occasionally  preached 
for  us,  as  we  find  in  a  note,  March  28,  1780,  as  follows: 
"  Resolved  to  give  Mr.  Rodgers  Eight  Silver  Dollars  or 
the  Exch°  thereof,  he  having  preached  four  Sabaths,  the 
Next  Sabith  Included,  the  Exch^  to  be  Cumputed  at  60 
for  one." 

As  nearly  as  we  can  estimate  their  purchasing  power, 
certainly  eight  silver  dollars  for  preaching  eight,  if  not 
twelve,  sermons  on  the  four  Sundays  he  spent  here  were 
not  calculated  to  encourage  extravagance  in  his   family. 

The  disturbance  of  the  currency  is  strikingly  shown  in 
this  and  other  Minutes  at  that  time.  When  Mr.  John 
Gano  spent  five  weeks  and  two  days  with  us  the  church 
paid  his  board-bill,  amounting  to  $1056,  at  the  rate  of  ^200 
a  week;  and  Mr.  Aldrich,  who  brought  back  from  Trenton 
the  horse  which  Mr.  Gano  rode,  was  paid  at  the  rate  of 
^70  a  day.  This  small  Minute  Book  No.  3,  of  250  pages, 
cost  $16  in  1780. 

The  ministers  in  those  days  were  also  accustomed  to 
very  plain  speaking.  Thus,  on  March  8,  1780,  "  It  was 
resolved  that  ;^200  be  paid  to  the  Rev  John  Gano  for  his 
services  during  his  present  visit."  Mr.  Gano,  two  days 
later,  informed  them  that  he  "  Conceived  the  Sum  of  Two 
hundred  pounds  which  they  had  Alowed  him  for  his 
present  visit,  was  by  no  means  sufficiant.  And  Signified  to 
the  Committee,  that  if  there  was  to  be  Difficultys  in  Money 
Matters,  he  would  be  glad  to  have  them   Explained  now." 

Then  follows  a  very  odd  statement,  which  seems  to 
indicate  that  it  was  the  custom  sometimes  to  purchase 
clothes  for  the  Minister. 

He  said — 


58  FIRST  BAPTIST   CllURCJI. 

"  That  he  had  Considred  The  £6yg.2.6.  Laid  out,  in 
Clothes  for  him,  as  a  free  gift,  for  which  he  held  himSelfe 
Bound  to  Make  Returnes  in  gratitue.  He  Also  Said, 
that  upon  his  Recolecting,  that  the  Committee  Might 
probably  have  Intended  the  Two  Sums  Jointly,  to  be  a 
Compensation  for  his  visit.  That  Even  in  this  point  of  view 
he  Could  not  Conceive  them  in  any  ways  Sufficiant,  or 
Equall  to  what  they  proposed  Making  up  for  him  by  the 
year.  [He  had  been  offered  for  the  year  /"250  "hard 
money."]  Where  upon  the  Committee  Imediately  Agreed 
to  Reconsider  the  Resolve  of  the  Last  Meeting,  for  giving 
M''.  Ganoe  Two  hundred  pounds,  and  Resolved  that  inas- 
Much  as  M^  Ganoe  was  Dissatisfied,  they  would  give  him 
as  Much  more  as  would  Make  up  the  Two  hundred 
pounds,  and  the  Six  hundred  and  Seventy  Nine  pounds 
2/6  paid  for  the  Clothes,  to  one  Thousand  pounds." 

On  May  4,    1 781,  is  a  similar  vote. 

"Thomas  Shields  Treasurer,  is  requested  to  pay  Benj'" 
Shaw  his  Acco'  i^6. 12  specie  for  Making  a  Suite  of  Clothes 
&  Sundrie  Trimings,  for  M""  Hughs  ...  he  is  Also 
Requested  to  pay  John  Mc  Kim  his  Acco*  for  2  y*^"  Black 
Cloth  &  Sundries  for  M"^  Hughs  .  .  .  Am'  /:9.3.9 
specie." 

In  1780  Yale,  and  in  1786  Princeton,  made  Mr.  Rogers 
a  Master  of  Arts  ;  and  in  1790  the  University  of  Pennsyl- 
vania made  him  a  Doctor  of  Divinity.  In  March,  1798, 
Rogers  was  appointed  Professor  of  English  and  the  Belles- 
Lettres  in  the  College  and  Academy  of  Philadelphia. 
He  remained  in  the  Faculty  for  twenty-three  years.  He 
died  April  7,  1824,  at  the  age  of  seventy-three;  and  on 
April  1 2th  the  church  erected  a  tombstone,  of  which  figure 
15  is  a  facsimile. 

In  Rippon's  "Baptist  Annual  Register"  for  1798  to 
1801,  volume  III,  page  202, 1  found  a  curious  note  among 
the  various  publications  of  the"  Rev.William  Rogers, D.D., 
Philadelphia.  The  Prayer  delivered  on  Saturday  the  22d 
of  February,  1800,  in  the  German  Reformed  Church,  Phila- 


BI-CEXTENNIAL    CELEBRA  TIOA'. 


59 


delphia:   before  the  Pennsylvania  Society  of  the  Cincin- 
nate,  Published  by  particular   Request.      8vo,  pp.  12."     I 


Fig.  15.-T0MKSTONE  OF    Rkv.  William    Rogkrs,  D.D.,  Originali  v  in  the  Old 

Burial-ground  in  Lagran(;e  Place. 

{Kindly  photographed  by  Mr.  Thornton  M.  Lynch.  \ 


6o  FIRST  B.IFTIS'J-  CHURCH. 

must  confess  that  tlie  patience  of  the  "  Cincinnate  "  may 
well  have  been  exhausted  by  twelve  pages  of  prayer.  It 
must  have  rivaled  a  long  prayer  I  once  heard  described  by 
a  bright  woman  as  "  historical,  biographical,  and  miscella- 
neous." Another  portrait  of  Rogers  as  a  young  man  is  in 
the  collection  of  the  Historical  Society  of  Pennsylvania. 

The  troublous  times  of  the  Revolution,  heralded  by  the 
resignation  of  Mr.  Rogers,  are  now  frequently  manifested. 
Our  Minute  Book  No.  2  terminates  May  8,  1775,  and 
Minute  Bjok  No.  3  does  not  open  until  August  16,  1779.   In 

"An  Address  from  the  Baptist  church  of  Philadelphia  to 
their  Sister  Churches  of  the  same  Denomination  through- 
out the  Confederated  States  of  North  America.  . 
Philadelphia,  Printed  by  Robert  Aitken  at  Pope's  Head 
Three  Doors  above  the  Coffee  House  in  Market  Street. 
M.DCC.LXXXI  "  (Fig.  16.) 

(this  was  before  there  was  any  "  United  States  of  America  "), 
and  dated  May  14th  of  that  year,  they  mention — 

"  With  real  sorrow,  that,  for  several  years  past,  we  have  been 
destitute  of  a  fixed  minister  among  us.  Our  dependance 
for  supplying  the  pulpit  has  chiefly  been  on  those,  who 
are  settled  in  the  adjacent  churches,  and  such  as  occasion- 
ally, in  the  course  of  their  travels,  visit  the  city." 

Among  others  who  served  them  were  two  brothers-in- 
law,  who  repeatedly  appear  both  in  our  own  and  in  Baptist 
history:  John  Gano  and  James  Manning.  On  July  5, 
1779,  the  Committee  reported  to  the  church  that  Mr. 
Manning  "  was  disposed  to  spend  some  time  amongst  us," 
and  resolved  that  "  some  plan  be  fallen  upon  to  render  him 
comfortably  supported  during  his  stay."  Four  persons 
were  appointed  to  "  hand  about  the  subscription."  He 
spent  some  months  with  the  church  at  that  time,  certainly 
from  jLme  until  August,  and  possibly  longer. 

On  September  25,  1779,  two  letters  were  "forwarded 
with  the  utniost  expedition   to   Mr.  John   Gano,  one  to  the 


BI-CENTENNIAL    CELEBRATION.  61 

A     N 

ADDRESS 

FROM     THE 

BAPTIST    CHURCH, 

I      N 

PHILADELPHIA, 

TO     THEIR 

SISTER     CHURCHES 

OF  THE   SAME   DENOMINATION, 

THROUGHOUT     THE 

CONFEDERATED    STATES 

O     F 

NORTH      AMERICA. 
Drawn   up  by  a  COMMITTEE  of  the  CHURCH, 

APPOINTED     FOR     SAIU    PuRPOSE 


PHILADELPHIA: 

Printed  by   ROBERT  AITKEN,  at  Pope's  Head, 

Three  Doors  above  the  Coffee  Hou3E,  in  Market  Street. 

MDCC.LXXXJ, 

Fig.  16.— Facsimile  of  thk  Titlk-page  of  the  Pamphlet  Issukd  by  the 
Church  after  the  Winchester  Troubles. 
[jFrofi!  a  copv  kindly  lent  by  Brow>i  L'7iiversity.] 


62  FIRST  BAPTIST  CHURCH. 

army  the  other  to  his  family  in  the  Jersey."  They  urged, 
among  otiier  reasons  for  him  to  accept  the  call,  that  he 
"  would  be  spared  the  dangers  of  the  field  "  and  have  a 
happy  home  "  with  the  wife  of  his  bosom  and  tender  off- 
spring." Mr.  Gano,  however,  declined  the  call.  I  present 
the  correspondence  entire  (Minutes,  Sept.  25)  as  a  speci- 
men of  English  composition  and  a  portraiture  of  the  trou- 
bled times.  The  church  clerk  is  responsible  for  the  spelling 
and  grammar: 

"  Letter  to  Mr.  Ganoe. 

"  Philad^  1779. 
"  Dear  Sir 

"  You  May  Rember  that  Last  year,  you  Rec'  a  Call 
from  this  Church  and  Congregation — In  Consequence  of 
which  you  paid  us  a  visit — But  your  Stay  was  too  Short 
to  Cindle  the  Dead  Coals  in  a  flaime — we  are  Sensible  at 
that  time  things  had  a  gloomy  Apearance,  which  had  no 
Doubt  a  Tendency  to  Discourage  you  from  setling 
Amongst  us — But  we  Can  with  pleasure  Informe  you, 
things  ware  a  Differant  Aspect,  with  us  at  present — Some 
Months  ago  M"  Still  Spent  Some  time  with  us,  he  not  only 
Colected  the  people  together.  But  was  Instromentall,  in 
Some  good  degree,  of  knifing  their  hearts,  as  the  hearts  of 
of  David  and  Jonathan,  and  though  Javlins  of  Discord 
has  ben  throne  amongst  us,  they  have  only  Served  to 
Increase  our  Zeal,  for  the  promoting  the  Redeemers  King- 
dom— Soon  After  we  were  fav''  with  a  visit  from  M"^  Man- 
ning, whose  presence  and  preaching  was  very  Reviving, 
and  During  his  Stay  with  us  there  Apeared  more  Love 
and  unity  then  we  have  Seen  for  Some  years  past — Before 
M'"  Manning  Left  us  the  Church  and  Congregation  were 
Called  together  to  Consult  on  ways  and  Means  to  Suply 
the  pulpit,  a  number  of  persons  were  Nominated,  as  pres- 
ent Suplys — But  the  unanemous  voice  was  for  M""  Ganoe 
to  be  the  Settled  Minister — at  this  Meeting  a  Committee 
were  Chosen,  for  Suplying  the  Pulpit,  Calling  a  Minister 
(to  setle  amongst  us)  Superintending  the  Leting  of  Pews, 
and  Carrying  about  a  Subscription  paper,  to  which  Bus- 
ness    they    have    Stedely    Attended — We    have    frequent 


BICENTENNIAL    CELEBRATION.  63 

Aplications  for  Pews,  and  the  Subscription  fill'  up  fast 
So  that  with  those,  and  the  Several  Donations  Left  for 
the  Suporte  of  a  Minister  we  Doubt  not  but  we  Shall 
be  able  to  Raise  a  Cumfortable  Suport  for  yourSelfe  and 
famely — The  Committee  therfore  being  Deeply  Concerned 
for  the  Intrist  of  True  Religion  in  generall,  and  the  pros- 
perity of  that  particular  Religious  Society  to  which  we 
Belong,  do  in  the  name  and  Behalfe  of  the  Church  and 
Congregation,  Earnestly  Repeat  our  Call  to  you  hoping 
you  will  not  fail  to  Come  and  Settle  amongst  us — And 
there  are  Many  Concuring  Circumstances  that  gives  us 
Reason  to  hope  that  you  will  Determin  in  our  favour — in 
the  first  place  we  are  Sensable  that  you  are  a  Real  friend 
to  the  Baptist  Intrist — Therefore  flatter  ourselve,  that  you 
Cannot  withstand  the  Repeated  Calls  of  a  people  that  are, 
and  have  ben  for  a  Long  time,  as  Sheep  having  no 
Sheeperd — Especily  when  you  Consider  the  force  of  our 
Lords  Command,  to  his  Disciples  Feed  my  Sheep,  says  he, 
feed  my  Lambs — another  Circumstance  that  Incurages 
our  hope  is  the  Disagreeable  Consequences  that  must 
attend  your  present  Situation,  Being  Absent  from  your 
Family — Those  that  have  Experinced  Simmelar  Circum- 
stances Can  truly  Simpathise  with  you. — What  Ancious 
thoughts  must  arise  in  the  Mind  of  an  Affectionate  Hus- 
band and  Tender  Parent,  about  the  well  fare  of  of  the  wife 
of  his  Bosom,  and  Tender  Offspring — And  on  the  other 
hand  what  Distressing  Sensations  must  fill  the  Breast  of 
the  Dear  partner  of  all  your  Joys  and  Sorows,  when  Con- 
templating on  the  Man)'-  Dangers  to  which  you  you  are 
Exposed — Every  Report  Must  be  Like  a  Dagger  to  the 
heart — But  Delecasy  forbids  Inlarging  on  this  head — And 
from  the  whole,  would  Draw  this  Conclution,  that  a  fixed, 
Setled  place,  would  be  More  Agreeable  to  one  of  your 
Age,  and  More  pleasing  to  your  Family — you  Cannot  be 
Insensable  Sir,  of  the  uncomfortable  Prospects  which  will 
present  them  Selves  to  us.  if  we  are  not  so  happy,  as  to 
be  Suplyed  verry  Soon  with  a  pastor  to  Administer  the 
ordinances,  which  are  as  Breasts  of  Consolation,  and  to 
Dispence  the  gospel,  to  us,  in  a  Stated  Manner — As  there 
is  two  much  Reason  to  Aprehend  that  in  a  City  Like 
Philadelphia  the  people  will  wander  from  place  to  place. 


64  FIRST  BAPTIST  CIIUKCH. 

many  of  them  paihapes,  Never  to  Returne — And  as  Luke- 
warniness  will  folovv,  or  perhaps,  a  totall  indifferancy  to 
Religion  may  Ensue — We  do  therefore  again  Intreat  that 
you  will  Accept  of  our  Invitation,  Not  for  our  Sakes  only. 
But  Also  for  the  Sake  of  the  Rising  generation,  whose 
welfare  and  Religious  Improvement  we  trust  will  plead  in 
their  Behalfe — you  know  that  Devine  Inspiration  Informes 
us  that  faith  Comes  by  hearing — and  how  Shall  we  hear 
without  a  preacher — To  Conclude  we  trust  that  you  will 
take  our  Circumstances  in  to  Serious  Consideration,  and 
Informe  us  as  Speedely  as  you  Can,  of  your  Determina- 
tion— May  it  be  fabourable  to  our  Requeast  and  in  the 
forming  of  it,  May  you  be  Derected  by  that  wisdom  which 
is  from  above — with  unfaigned  Esteem  we  Subscribe  our 
Selves 

Sir 
your  Affectionate  Brit" — 

N.  B.  The  Church  and  Congregation  have  Agree''  to  pro- 
vide you  with  a  house,  and  Defray  the  Expence  of  Moving 
your  Family  to  Philadelphia,  previous  to  which  Should  be 
glad  you  would  favour  us  with  a  visit. — " 

To  this  letter  Mr.  Gano  replied  as  follows:' 

"  I  have  received  your  call — have  considered  its  con- 
tents, feel  for  and  simpathise  with  you  and  the  cause  you 
are  pained  for  the  permotion  of  in  this  place — I  thank  you 
for  the  respect  exprest  there  in,  and  think  the  more  of  it 
as  you  have  long  known  me — Nineteen  years  ago  I  serv'd 
this  Church  stiddely  for  a  season — my  defects  and  the 
Expences  of  my  family  was  then  known  and  born  with, 
the  time  being  expird  and  your  Expected  Suply  cumming 
from  a  broad  you  had  no  farther  need  of  my  services — 
Then  I  excepted  a  call  to  New  York — Christian  frendship 
has  continued — yet  suffer  me  now  to  remark  without 
fained  humility,  I  was  then  in  my  own  esteem  unequal  to 
the  place  altho  then  in  the  Prime  now  in  the  declines  of 
Life,  my  family  then  small  now  Large  and  more  P^xpen- 
cive,  the  Church  probably  from  its  late  Political  difficulties, 

1  Minutes,  Fet).  21,  1780. 


B[-CEXTEXNIAL    CELEBRATIOX.  65 

the  death  and  removal  of  members,  the  heavi  taxes  of  the 
times,  may  be  less  able  to  bair  the  charge  of  a  family  like 
mine  who  having  been  long  unsettled  and  flying  from 
place  to  place  which  with  Losses  and  expences  without 
the  advantage  of  replasing  are  reduced  to  an  apearance 
however  nabourly  like,  in  a  Back  place,  yet  reather 
reproachfull  in  this  place  to  a  Church  like  this.  Neither 
is  the  sum  mentioned  in  your  Call  at  the  present  exchange 
any  way  adiquate  to  a  present  support  all  of  which  I  could 
leave  to  God  did  I  satisfactorilly  know  his  will  and  conse- 
quently my  duty — in  the  present  case — I  do  not.  I  am 
obliged  to  compair  my  present  standing  in  the  army,  the 
mear  Providence  that  put  and  has  preserved  me  there,  the 
ways  and  means  of  a  former  and  present  Support  for  my 
family  with  this  call  to  learn  my  duty — and  that  you  may 
be  better  Judges  with  me  I  must  be  Explecit  in  Stating 
the  contrast  in  my  own  breast  as  I  in  some  measure  Sen- 
sably  feel  it  at  present — I  have  said  providence  put  and 
has  continued  me  in  the  army  for  these  reasons — I  neaver 
sought  it  I  neaver  did  neither  did  I  ever  expect  to  like  the 
life — many  things  I  have  (and  must)  see  and  hear  in  the 
army  very  abhorrant,  but  little  Christian,  conversation,  no 
retirement  or  study,  discoraging  prospects  of  convencing 
or  convarting  siners  or  quickning  and  edifying  Gods  chil- 
dren, and  having  no  disposition  to  court  the  hardships  and 
fatteagues  of  Campaining,  and  had  not  the  contest  apeared 
to  me  Just  and  of  so  much  importance  to  my  Country 
both  in  a  Sevil  and  Religious  Sence  as  to  render  me  incap- 
able of  refusing  any  Servises  or  Suffering  I  might  be 
called  to  in  it — at  the  same  time  knowing  that  there  were 
poppelar  men  of  Carector  in  the  Ministry  that  left  the 
City  also,  and  some  in  the  state  beside,  that  by  there  tem- 
porary exceptance  manifested  a  rediness  to  a  servis — 
that  on  the  whole  I  have  not  known  but  God  ment  to  keep 
me  ready  as  an  instrument  in  some  futer  day  when  the 
Enimy  shall  leave  New  York  City  to  assist  that  broken 
Church  where  so  much  of  the  best  of  my  time  has  been 
spent  (and  leave  it  they  will  or  come  here  again)  and 
should  I  leave  the  army  Contrary'  to  the  desire  of  not 
only  those  of  the  first  Milatary  Carrectors  in  the  State  as 
also   some   eminant   in    the  Sivel    I    should   probably  in  a 


66  FIRST  JiAPTISr  ClJbRCH. 

late  day  flin<j  all  those  advantages  that  I  might  expect 
from  the  State  in  favour  of  that  Church  into  a  hand  not  so 
Emical  to  it — my  family  has  some  how  been  preserved 
and  Supported — neither  is  the  prospect  at  present  less 
promising  for  the  futer — We  late  last  spring  got  on 
a  little  Place,  altho  much  out  of  repairs,  (and  a  poor 
Habitation)  it  is  fertile  in  pasturage  and  will  afford  near 
twenty  Tuns  of  hay,  has  an  Orchard,  and  my  son  altho  an 
intire  stranger  to  farming,  yet  turn'd  in  to  assist  the 
Family,  and  with  a  little  help  they  procured  and  raised 
something  of  a  Summer  Crop  of  almost  every  kind,  and 
has  now  near  twenty  acres  of  wheat  in  the  Ground  which 
place  I  rent  at  Sixty  seven  pounds  Continental  per  Year — 
many  disadvantages  are  we  under,  and  perticulerly  the 
Education  of  Children — this  vew  of  the  case  I  hope  will 
show  you  my  difficulty  in  determining  and  expect  you  will 
not  take  it  unkind  should  I  not  exept  your  Invitation  &C." 

In  October,  1780,  the  church  was  divided  in  the  selec- 
tion of  a  new  pastor,  some  favoring  Mr.  Winchester,  and 
some  Mr.  Heart.  Accordingly,  the  following  unusual  man- 
ner of  settling  it  was  agreed  upon  October  19,  1780: 

"  It  was  Agreed  by  a  Majority  that  M'"  Winchester  be 
Invited  to  preach  on  Saturday  Evining,  and  that  he  be 
Requested  to  publish  that  M""  Heart  will  preach  Next 
Sabbath,  and  that  M'  Heart  be  Requested  to  publish  a 
Meeting  of  the  Church  and  Congregation  on  Monday 
Afternoon  at  three  O'clock,  for  the  Express  purpose  of  tak- 
ing the  sence  of  the  whole,  more  fully,  which  would  be  the 
most  Agreeable  to  them  for  their  Minister,  M"'  Winchester, 
or  M^  Heart." 

The  decision  was  in  favor  of  Mr.  Winchester  (Fig.  17), 
who  accepted  the  call  on  October  23,  1780. 

This  was  a  most  unfortunate  decision.  At  first  he  was 
most  successful,  and  drew  large  crowds,  including  many 
clergymen.  But  under  date  of  March  5,  1781,  less  than  a 
year  after  he  accepted  the  call,  Mr.  Winchester  was  accused 
of  holding  the  doctrine  of  the  "  final  restoration  of  bad 
men   and    aneels  from    hell."     On  the   same  evening  the 


BI-CENTENNIAL    CELEBRATION.  67 

following  protest  was  signed   individually  on   the  Minute 
Book  itself  by  ninety-seven  persons: 

"  Wheras  the  Doctrin  of  universal  Restoration  of  Bad 
men  and  Angels  in  the  fullest  Extent  has  for  a  Consider- 
able time  privatly  and  of  Late  More  publickly  ben  Intro- 
duced Among  us,  and  is  now  openly  Avowed  by  Som  of 
the    Members,    to    the  great  Disorder  and   Confusion    of 


Fig.  17.— Rev.  Elhanan  Winchester.     From  his  "Life''  m- Stone. 
^Kindly  lent  by  the  Ameiican  Baptist  Historical  Society. \ 

our  Church,  and  wounding  the  hearts  of  Many  of  the 
Brethren  Contrary  to  our  Confession  of  Faith — We  whos 
Naims  are  underwritten  do  in  the  Most  Sollom  Manner 
from  Reall  Convictiction  of  Duty  Seriously  protest  against 
the  Same,  as  a  Most  Dangerous  Hericy." 

The  "  Address  "  already  alluded  to  (p.  61)  gives  a  more 
consecutive  history  of  the  trouble  than  do   the  Minutes. 


68  FIRST  H.lPl'IST  CHURCH. 

Mr.  Winchester  was  called  upon  by  the  protestors  and 
requested  to  desist  from  preaching,  and  finally  the  meeting- 
house was  locked  against  him  and  his  adherents.  So 
sharp,  however,  was  the  quarrel  that  on  March  6,  1781, 
the  day  after  he  was  requested  to  give  up  preaching,  his 
adherents  broke  open  the  church  and  took  forcible  posses- 
sion of  it.  Winchester  preached  on  that  evening,  and  on 
the  ensuing  Sunday  administered  the  Lord's  Supper.  On 
Monday,  April  21,  1 781,  the  church  invited  six  neighboring 
clergymen  to  advise  with  them.  After  meeting  with  com- 
mittees representing  both  parties,  the  Council  gave  it  as 
their  opinion  that  the  doctrine  of  universal  restoration  was 
a  deviation  from  the  Philadelphia  Confession  of  Faith,  and 
that  those  of  the  church  who  had  pronounced  against  the 
doctrine  constituted  the  rightful  church.  They  recom- 
mended that  Mr.  Winchester  be  dismissed.  As  a  result, 
the  Minutes  for  some  time  are  full  of  exclusions  of  the 
adherents  of  Winchester.  A  law-suit  followed  by  which 
the  Winchester  party  endeavored  to  obtain  possession  of 
the  property;  but  on  the  9th  day  of  July,  1784,  the  Court 
decided  adversely  to  their  claim. 

It  is  noticeable  that  among  the  persons  who  signed  the 
address  alluded  to  are  Colonel  (later  General)  Samuel 
Miles,  Rev.  William  Rogers,  Thomas  Shields,  and  John 
McKim,  all  most  prominent  members  of  the  church. 

A  curious  side-light  is  thrown  on  the  Winchester  con- 
troversy in  a  letter  from  Dr.  Manning  to  Mr.  Ustick,  our 
next  pastor,  dated  March  4,  1785  (when  Winchester  was 
less  than  thirty-four  years  of  age),  in  which  he  says  : 

"  In  your  letter  to  Mr.  Pitman  you  mention  Winchester 
as  in  possession  of  his  fifth  wife  and  a  red  coat.  Please  in 
your  next  give  us  the  particulars  of  that  eccentric  genius, 
his  adherents,  success,  etc."  ' 

Winchester  died   April    18,    1797,  aged  forty-six.     Un- 

1  Guild,  /('(•.  lit. ,  p.  399. 


B I- CENTENNIAL    CELEBRATION  69 

questionably,  he  was  a  man  "  of  sincere  piety  notwith- 
standing the  change  in  his  theological  opinions."'  His 
moral  character  was  never  impeached  and  his  piety  was 
Liniv^ersally  admitted. 

After  Mr.  Winchester  left  the  church,  on  October  27, 
1 78 1,  Mr.  Rogers,  who  was  still  connected  with  the  church 
as  a  member,  though  not  as  our  minister,  informed  the 
church  that — 

"  He  had  Delivered  their  Letter  to  Pres'  Manning  who 
was  now  present  in  person,  and  would  Answer  to  the 
Church,  as  to  his  Intention  of  Complying  with  their  Re- 
queast  to  become  their  Minister." 


Fig.  iS. — Rev.  Thomas  Ustick,  A.M.     His  Only  Known  Portrait. 
[From  the  Collection  of  tlie  American  Baptist  Historical  Society.] 

Mr.  Manning  then  said  that — 

"  His  Secular  Affairs,  and  Conections  with  the  publick 
where  he  lived  would  by  no  Means  Admit  of  his  Comply- 
ing with  their  Requeast,  any  farther  than  to  pay  them  a 
Short  visit," 

and  he  (Manning)  recommended  Mr.  Ustick  as  a  man  well 
calculated  to  suit  them. 

Accordingly,  on   the  29th   of  October   Mr.   Ustick    was 

invited  to  pay  a  visit  for   three   or  four  months.     He  left 

Providence  on   the   17th  of  December,  1781,  and  reached 

Philadelphia  on  the  8th  of  January,  1782,    The  visit  proved 

1 //;/,/.,  p.  384. 


70 


FIRST  BAPTIST  CHURCH. 


acceptable,  and  on  August  5,  1782,  Mr.  Ustick  (Fig.  18)  was 

received  into  the  fellowship  of  the  church  as  their  minister. 

The  Revolution  had  made  sad  inroads  into  the  member- 


ly.— ToMusroNE  OF  Thomas  I'stick,  Originally  in  the  Old   Birial- 
GRouND  IN  Lagrange  Place. 
\ Kindly  photographed  by  Mr.  Thuriilon  M.  Lynch.] 


BICENTENNIAL    CELEBRATION.  71 

ship  of  the  church.  In  1775  the  membership  was  re- 
ported as  174,  but  it  had  fallen  in  1792  to  87.  This  was 
not  only  in  consequence  of  the  political  disturbance  of  the 
times,  but  was  also  due  to  the  fact  that  they  had  had  no 
settled  minister  (except  for  the  year  that  Mr.  Winchester 
was  pastor),  and  by  reason  of  the  loss  of  membership  owing 
to  the  Winchester  trouble.  Mr.  Ustick  died  April  18,  1803, 
beloved  and  regretted  by  all  of  the  church.  Figure  19  is 
from  a  photograph  of  his  memorial  tablet.  In  that  time 
the  church  had  so  prospered  that  the  membership  was 
reported  to  the  Association  as  181,  and  this  in  spite  of  the 
ravages  of  yellow  fever  in  1793,  '97,  '98,  and  '99. 

Several  times  the  Association  resolved  to  meet  in 
Philadelphia  "  if  no  contagious  disease  existed."  The 
Minutes  of  the  church  also  repeatedly  refer  "  to  the  pres- 
ence of  the  calamity,"  and  in  1797,  the  year  of  the  worst 
epidemic,  no  meeting  of  the  Association  was  held. 

On  January  7,  1799,  ^30  were  presented  to  the  sexton, 
William  Jackway,  "  for  his  particular  attention  during  the 
late  awful  calamity,"  and  it  was  appropriately  ordered  to 
be  paid  "  from  the  burial  ground  money." 

In  1798  the  deacons  were  appointed  to  make  an  accurate 
account  of  the  names  of  all  the  surviving  members  of  the 
church,  showing  what  devastation  has  been  wrought  by 
the  plague.  Mr.  Ustick  did  not  escape;  several  of  his 
children  fell  ill  with  the  fever,  but  fortunately  all  of  them 
recovered.  He  was  offered  an  asylum  in  Bucks  County  by 
Mr.  William  Watts,  but  he  courageously  declined  the  offer, 
and  labored  with  unselfish  devotion  throughout  the  epi- 
demic side  by  side  with  Dr.  Rush. 

On  February  4,  1805,  Dr.  William  Staughton  (Fig.  20), 
of  Burlington,  N.  J.,  accepted  a  call  from  the  church  "for 
a  year,"  specifying,  however,  that  "  as  their  means  were 
limited  if  he  found  it  necessary  for  the  completion  of  his 
support  he  was  to   have  liberty  to  have   recourse  to  other 


72  FIRST  BAPTIST  CHURCH. 

eni[)loynient."  His  salary  was  fixed  at  "  $6co  and  all  of 
the  evening  collections  which  were  made  during  the  same 
period."  On  April  8,  1805,  Dr.  Staughton  and  his  wife 
were  received  into  the  church,  the  Moderator  extending  to 
him  the  hand  of  fellowship.  On  March  10,  1806,  he  was 
elected    permanent    pastor.       With    the    coming    of    Dr. 


Fig.  20.— Rkv.  Wii-liam  Staighion,  D.D.    From  his  "  Life"  nv  Rev.  S.  \V.  Lynd. 

[Reproduced  frofn  a  copy  kindly  furnished  by  lite  Bucknell  Library  of  Crozer 

Th  eologica  I  Sem  in  a  ry.] 


Staughton  a  new  era  dawned  on  the  church.  Dr.  Staughton 
was  not  only  an  educated  man,  but,  like  Edwards,  was  a 
man  of  great  activity,  and  of  great  power  as  an  orator. 
The  congregation  soon  increased  in  numbers  to  such  an  ex- 
tent that  the  church  was  always  crowded.  In  1807,  only 
two  years  after  he  came,  the  membership  was  reported  at 
307,  and  in  18 10  it  had  increased  to  473.      In  1806  a  sub- 


BI-  CENTENNIA  L    CEL  EBRA  TION. 


73 


scription  was  started  for  enlarging  the  church  to  accommo- 
date the  constant  crowds  (Fig.  21).  The  old  parchment 
subscription-list  of  over  100  names  still  exists.  It  is  headed 
by  Isaac  Jones,  Esq.,  "  one  of  his  Majesties  Justices,"  with 
the  largest  subscription,  of  ^100,  while  the  smallest  is  7s. 
6d.    One  man  generously  pledges  ^5  in  work.  Among  the 


-The  Church  in  Lagrange  Place  after  its  Enlargement  in  iS 
[From  Spencer's  "  Early  Baptists  of  Philadelphia."] 


subscribers  many  familiar  names  occur,  such  as  Loxley, 
O'Hara,  Moulder,  Levering,  Rees,  Miles,  etc.,  some  of  them 
still  honored  names  among  us.  A  Minute,  May  11,  1818, 
states  the  cost  at  ^15,000. 

"  No  pastor  of  any  denomination   in   Philadelphia,"  says 
Dr.  Thomas  D.  Mitchell  (Appendix  L)— 
"  Retained  so  large  a  popularity  for  so  long  a  period  of 


74  I-IRST  BAPTIST  CHURCH. 

years.  Many  a  time  have  I  seen  the  enlarged  house  most 
uncomfortably  packed,  and  many  were  compelled  to  go 
away  for  lack  of  room.  The  people  came  from  every  quarter 
of  the  city  and  this  laid  the  foundation  for  numerous  places 
distant  from  the  church  edifice." 

Not  only  did  he  preach  within  the  meeting-house,  but  he 
also  held  sunrise  meetings,  near  the  Navy  Yard,  under  the 
wide-spreading  willows,  which  attracted  hundreds.  Dr. 
Mitchell  further  says: 

"  Often  have  I  seen  a  great  gathering  at  the  latter  place 
which,  the  benches  could  not  accommodate,  and  yet  the 
most  perfect  order  prevailed  while  the  eloquent  Staughton 
preached  Christ  and  Him  crucified." 

He  sometimes  preached  four  sermons  a  day. 

Owing  to  his  small  salary.  Dr.  Staughton  was  obliged 
to  take  up  some  other  employment,  as  he  had  indicated 
might  be  necessary.  He  not  only  taught  in  some  young 
ladies'  schools,  but  also,  as  early  as  1807,  had  young  minis- 
ters in  his  family  in  training  for  their  work.  This  school 
of  the  prophets,  though  small  in  its  beginning,  soon  was 
enlarged  to  such  proportions  that  it  is  properly  called  the 
first  Divinity  School  among  the  Baptists  of  America.  Its 
further  history  is  given  later.  He  published  an  edition  of 
Virgil  and  prepared  a  Greek  lexicon,  and  his  scholarship 
was  recognized  by  Princeton,  which  gave  him  the  degree 
of  Doctor  of  Divinity  when  he  was  only  twenty-eight 
years  old.  He  edited  one  of  the  early  Baptist  newspapers 
— "The  Latter  Day  Luminary,"  which  was  begun  in 
18 18  and  existed  until  1824.  He  founded  the  Philadelphia 
Bible  Society,  the  first  woman's  Bible  society  in  the  world. 
He  became  the  Corresponding  Secretary  of  the  Baptist 
Board  of  Foreign  Missions.  In  1823  he  removed  to 
Washington  to  assume  the  Presidency  of  Columbian  Uni- 
versity, to  which  he  had  been  elected  in  1821.  He  re- 
signed this  office  in  1829,  and  in  October  of  that  year 
started  for  Georgetown   College,  Kentucky,  to  which  insti- 


BI-CENTENNIAL    CELEBRATIOX.  75 

tution  he  had  been  elected  President,  but  died,  December 
12,  1829,  while  on  his  journey  thither,  at  the  age  of  sixty. 

During  1810  dissensions  broke  out  in  the  church,  and 
party  feeling  ran  high.  Renewed  difficulties  with  Great 
Britain  also  soon  led  to  the  war  of  18 12.  Dr.  Staughton, 
as  a  born  Englishman,  was  the  object  of  much  ill-feeling, 
to  such  an  extent  that  a  story  is  related  that  when  one  of 
the  stoves  smoked  persistently  the  sexton,  finding  no  other 
explanation,  finally  declared  that  "  there  must  be  an  Eng- 
lishman in  the  stove-pipe." 

During  January,  181 1,  ninety-two  members  of  the 
church  asked  for  dismission  to  form  the  Sansom  Street 
church,  now  known  as  the  Fifth  Baptist  Church.  They 
built  a  very  remarkable  structure,  at  present  occupied  as 
Harkness's  Bazaar,  at  Ninth  and  Sansom  Streets,  The 
baptistery,  which  I  remember  very  well  in  my  boyhood, 
was  in  the  center  and  the  seats  rose  in  an  amphitheater. 
The  eloquence  of  Staughton  still  drew  to  the  new  church 
the  crowds  which  had  gathered  around  him  at  the  old  one, 
and  much  of  his  best  work  was  done  in  Sansom  Street. 

After  Dr.  Staughton's  withdrawal,  in  181 1,  Rev.  Morgan 
J.  Rhees  supplied  the  church  for  a  short  time.  His  name 
will  recall  a  host  of  delightful  memories  of  his  father  and 
himself;  of  B.  Rush  Rhees,  M.D.,  his  brother,  one  of  our 
most  active  members,  a  member  of  the  Faculty  of  the 
Jefferson  Medical  College,  and  the  eulogist  of  Dr.  Hol- 
combe ;  Ann  Loxley  Rhees,  his  mother,  one  of  the 
founders  of  our  Sunday-school,  and  others  of  the  family 
so  long  identified  with  our  church. 

On  June  14,  181 1,  six  months  after  Dr.  Staughton  with- 
drew with  the  Sansom  Street  church.  Dr.  Henry  Holcombe 
(Fig.  22)  was  called  from  Savannah.  He  had  been  a  cav- 
alry officer  before  he  was  of  age,  and  his  first  sermon  was 
preached  on  horseback  to  his  troops.  But  in  spite  of  so 
martial  a  beginning,  he  was  noted  in  later  life  as  an  ardent 


76 


FIRST  BAPTIST  CHURCH. 


advocate  of  peace,  and  even  took  extreme  ground  as  to 
the  sinfulness  of  all  war.  Before  1823,  when  the  second 
edition  of  his  "Primitive  Theology"  was  published,  the 
Pennsylvania  Peace  Society  was  formed.     Its  constitution, 


Fig.  22.— Rev.  Henry  Holcombe,  D.D. 

[From  an  engraving  kindly  lent  by  the  Bucknrll  Libiaiy  of  dozer 

Theological  Seminary.^ 


BICENTENNIAL    CELEBRATION.  77 

which  is  published  as  an  appendix  to  that  work,  shows 
that  General  William  Duncan  was  President;  Dr.  Elijah 
Griffiths  and  Dr.  B.  Rush  Rhees  and  three  others  were 
Vice-Presidents ;  J.  L.  Rhees  and  Dr.  Holcombe  were 
respectively  one  of  the  two  Recording  and  Corresponding 
Secretaries;  my  uncle,  Samuel  W.  Keen,  was  Treasurer; 
and  of  the  fifteen  Managers  I  recognize  at  least  five  as 
members  of  our  church — that  is,  eleven  out  of  twenty-six 
officers  were  members  of  our  church.  Thomas  Jefferson, 
Adoniram  Judson,  and  Dr.  Brantly  were  among  its  honor- 
ary members.  They  held  their  meetings  on  December 
25th  and  July  4th.  The  present  Peace  Society  stands  in 
no  organic  relation,  I  believe,  with  its  predecessor.  Dr. 
Holcombe  had  been  very  active  as  a  preacher,  and  in 
educational  work  in  Georgia,  and  had  started  the  "  Ana- 
lytical Repository,"  1801-C2,  the  earliest  Baptist  newspaper, 
I  believe,  in  America. 

During  his  early  pastorate  the  church  throve.  From 
1812  to  1 8 16  it  had  grown  from  380  to  448  members.  A 
Minute  shows  what  in  those  days  really  seemed  to  be  a 
passion  for  hearing  sermons.  November  7,  18 14,  Dr.  Hol- 
combe wrote,  saying  that,  "owing  to  my  health,  I  must 
either  preach  only  twice  on  each  Sabbath,  or  proportion- 
ally shorten  each  of  three  discourses."  He  suggested  that 
"  betwixt  the  two  sermons,"  which  he  deemed  quite  suffi- 
cient for  every  purpose  of  instruction  and  devotion,  "a 
comfortable  meeting  for  social  prayer  be  held."  It  was 
finally  arranged  that  the  evening  sermon  should  be 
omitted,  but  that  he  should  preach  on  Wednesday  evening, 
and  that  when  he  felt  able  or  could  get  an  acceptable 
preacher  they  should  have  an  extra  Sunday  evening  service 
by  special  notice. 

Dr.  Holcombe's  pastorate  closed  at  his  death,  on  May 
22,  1824.  and  Dr.  B.  Rush  Rhees  pronounced  a  eulogium 
upon  his  life  and  character.     Fig.  23  is  a  facsimile  of  his 


78 


FIRST  BAPTIST  CIIURCU. 


tombstone.     Holcombe    was  a  man   of  magnificent   phy- 
sique, standing  six  feet  two  and  weighing  300  pounds,  and 


This  Moi>itu«i>i>i  1 

In  li)(;)i)itl\\    ol"  * 

liei   failliful  ftiihsjlifeiie.laiul  I.plaveil   PnWoi*^ 

HKjNHY   HOLCOMCIMyD  I 

Mo  ivaJ  l.oiii  III  Hi  iiiiuKdwai-.l  i:....,.iv  V,v.,,„V,i 

.iJxOr.l:....,-,!   |„   tl,,.  X.,,,  K  .,1   il |.,1  .,.,,,..|i-.v 

'•"    '!-<■    II  "'    „.■    >,.|, I.., ,,!.,',      Us, 
1  i..l   .--r.  P-.  IV,.,  I   I..1    r,.i  In    k  ,-.,,,•  V,  nil    il  I- 111,.,  ml. 
■'      ■•  •''      -I'l'i'v    ..IMJ    -■,„...,  -.    II,,.    ,,,,,,,,,,■,,,,,„ 

■   '■-    •"'"•'"•I    •••nl I    ,,,...,1    Inn,    Vs    llu 

'■■•'    •■'    ',■  '  •'>'      ■"    I"       .n.lin..      Il,        ,,,!,  ,   ,     ,.     .,,■ 

immi, .,,,,  I,  K,,,,:,i.,,,, 

"■■  "■■•"■  Oil,.   .,    ,,,  II,       ,,  ,,\   „,  II,,    1;,  ,,  1,,,,    ,, 
'"'    '   ""  '"'      I     '111,      s,  ,iii,  (    ,,  .  1,,,  ,   I     .,,,     ,,,,    , 

'  ''        -IT'     -•■•I        'I,-:  I  ,1.     ,  1  ,  ,,        ,, ,, 

"■ ■•'■■■  ■•  'I'  "->-..  I.  • , 

: '  • li.     1.,    .    :...i 

"    1 .Ml    ,|.  ,    ,, 

t  ■   '<  .   ..1    II,,    I  ,,    , 
-  I  (     ..I    !.    ,,.!,., 


1..  .  I 


I'l'   ^    <  I,,,,, I,  .,,   ,1., 
"I     '"1"'  :   ^      I     I   .  .   ..I  ;1,     l\  ,,,,.s| 
>•"  '    1^    ..I...I,   I,     1-..,,,,,|.  .1   ,,,  !>■>•> 

"■'  •''--' '" .1,!. , ,,., ,  ..,,,,,.„,„..::• 

'I   I'  ">..i.,    „.i  il...    .•,>'„,  \i  ,^   Is-  ,    ,,,  |„.,_; 

I  Ml  111  ,<  1     I    I   I  I  (   \ 


111    iii'iiii.rx    ..1 

1  . 1.  <  ..I  III,,  n,.,   n:  ii..i. o^ni,,- 

1      .;      1,  Viirili  (  .ir..lii,,i    .1,,,,,    '.'s   17(57 
)ii..l  .1   riiil,Mjpi|,i,,i,   Ui-i.   •it».   |>;v7, 

rOr>sfiK>i>    il,(   Demi  Mlio  iTip  in  iltf    I.ov.l 


Fig.  23. — ToMusToNK  ok  Rkv.  Hknrv  Hoi, combe,  D  D.,  Originally  i 
Burial-ground  in  Lagrange  Place. 
{Kindly  photographed  by  Mr.  Thornlon  M.  Lynch.] 


N  THE  Old 


BI-CENTENNIAL    CELEBRATION.  79 

his  courage  was  proportionate  to  his  size.  In  1802,  when 
one  John  Rice  had  been  executed  in  Savannah  for  stealing 
a  gun,  Dr.  Holcombe  took  Rice's  children  to  his  own  home, 
and  through  a  Memorial  to  the  Georgia  Legislature  he 
secured  the  passage  of  a  law  inflicting  a  milder  punishment 
for  such  petty  offenses. 

It  is  perhaps  worthy  of  special  note  that  on  June  3, 
18 16,  Dr.  Holcombe  had  desired  to  resign  and  return  to 
his  old  charge  in  Savannah,  largely  on  account  of  his  wife's 
health,  but  that  the  Committee  drafted  a  reply,  which  was 
unanimously  adopted,  urging  upon  him  to  remain,  and  that 
in  it  they  laid  especial  emphasis  upon  his  opposition  to 
"  Northern  and  other  theological  errors."  Also  it  is  to  be 
observed  that  in  the  two  or  three  years  before  18 16  sev- 
eral members  were  disciplined  for  Arminianism. 

The  period  from  1746  to  18 16  was  one  of  remarkable 
growth  in  numbers  and  influence.  During  that  period  six 
new  churches  were  formed  in  Philadelphia,  as  offshoots 
from  the  First  Baptist  Church.  Thus,  on  August  3,  1789, 
thirty-two  members  were  dismissed  to  form  a  new  church 
at  Roxborough  (Centennial  Memorial  of  the  Roxborough 
Baptist  Church).  On  February  7,  1803,  twenty  members 
were  dismissed  to  form  the  Second  Church  in  the  Northern 
Liberties.  On  May  28,  1 804,  three  members  were  dismissed 
to  form  with  others  the  Blockley  Church.  On  May  13,  1809, 
thirteen  colored  members  were  dismissed  to  form  the  First 
African  Baptist  Church,  and  on  June  19th  the  use  of  the 
church  was  given  them  for  a  meeting,  at  which  they  were 
constituted  as  a  church.  On  August  7,  1809,  twenty- 
eight  members  were  dismissed  to  form  the  Third  Baptist 
Church  at  Southwark.  On  January  7  and  22,  181 1,  ninety- 
two  members  were  dismissed  to  form  the  Sansom  Street 
Church.  Though  it  belongs  strictly  to  the  next  period, 
yet  it  may  as  well  be  noted  here  that  on  February  2,  1818, 


8o  FIRST  BAPTIST  CHURCH. 

seven  members  were  dismissed  to  constitute  the  First 
Baptist  Church  of  Camden. 

Not  only  were  new  churches  formed,  but  in  i8o8,  as 
ah-eady  stated,  the  meeting-house  was  enlarged,  during 
which  time  our  church  worshiped  in  the  State  House. 
On  July  9,  1810,  a  two-story  brick  building  32  ft.  by  18 
ft.  was  ordered  to  be  erected  on  the  Schuylkill  lot  at  a  cost 
of  $1100.  During  this  period,  also,  the  exact  date  of 
which  I  have  not  been  able  to  discover,  a  three- story 
school-house  was  built  on  the  ground  adjoining  the  church, 
in  which  the  business  and  prayer  meetings  were  held  and 
in  which  the  Sunday-school  met — the  infant  school,  the 
girls  and  the  boys  on  the  first,  second,  and  third  floors 
respectively. 

Not  only,  however,  was  this  period  noticeable  for  such 
growth  as  led  to  the  formation  of  a  large  number  of  new 
churches,  but  as  the  first  period  is  noted  for  the  founda- 
tion of  Brown  University  and  the  formation  of  the  Phila- 
delphia Association,  the  second  is  equally  noted  for  the 
foundation  of  other  educational  organizations  and  the  for- 
mation of  the  American  Baptist  Missionary  Union  in  our 
church. 

In  1812  the  "  Baptist  Education  Society  of  the  Middle 
States  "  was  formed  through  the  influence  of  Dr.  Staugh- 
ton  and  of  Dr.  Holcombe,  and  under  its  auspices 
Staughton  began  to  instruct  students  for  the  ministry. 

In  1 8 17,  at  the  second  meeting  of  the  Triennial  Conven- 
tion, the  Board  was  authorized  to  "  institute  a  Classical  and 
Theological  Seminary."  In  July  of  the  same  year  the 
"Education  Society  of  Philadelphia"  "offered  to  the 
Board  their  cooperation  in  accomplishing  the  objects  con- 
templated by  the  Convention."  In  August,  1818,  Dr. 
Staughton,  who  was  elected  President  of  the  proposed 
institution,  and   Rev.  Irah   Chase,  Professor  of  Languages 


Bl-CEN7'ENNIAL    CELEBRATION.  8i 

and  Biblical  Literature,  commenced  instruction  in  Phila- 
delphia in  a  private  house  hired  for  the  purpose.' 

In  1821  Columbian  College  was  incorporated,  and  the 
theological  institution,  of  which  Dr.  Staughton  was  Presi- 
dent, was  then  removed  to  Washington,  as  the  Theological 
Department  of  Columbian  College. 

But  the  crowning  event  of  this  period  occurred  during 
Dr.  Holcombe's  ministry  in  1 8 14.  This  was  the  organiza- 
tion in  our  church  of  what  afterward  became  the  Mission- 
ary Union.  It  is  not  without  significance  perhaps  that  its 
foundations  were  laid  during  the  Second  War  with  Great 
Britain,  and  its  Semi-centennial  Anniversary  was  celebrated 
in  1864  in  our  church  during  the  height  of  the  Civil  War. 

In  18 1 2  the  Rev,  Adoniram  Judson,  Mrs.  Judson,  and 
the  Rev.  Luther  Rice  went  to  India  as  Missionaries  of  the 
American  Board  of  Commissioners  for  Foreign  Missions. 
By  the  time  they  reached  India  their  views  on  baptism 
had  changed,  and  all  three  were  baptized  at  Calcutta  by  the 
Rev.  William  Ward,  of  Serampore.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Judson 
remained  to  carry  on  their  missionary  work,  but  Mr.  Rice 
returned  to  America  to  lay  before  the  Baptist  Churches 
the  wants  of  the  heathen  world. 

Though  our  people,  and  especially  Drs.  Rogers  and 
Staughton,  had  been  greatly  interested  in  the  English 
Baptist  Missionary  movement,  there  had  never  been  a 
single  American  Baptist  Foreign  Missionary  until  in  God's 
good  Providence  these  three  were  thus  unexpectedly  thrust 
upon  us.  With  dramatic  suddenness  we  were  bidden  to 
arise  and  provide  for  their  wants,  while  they  preached  the 
good  news  to  millions.  No  wonder  that  the  picture  of  one 
devoted,  fearless  man  and  one  woman  worthy  to  stand 
beside  such  a  husband,  alone,  in  the  midst  of  hostile 
myriads  to  whom  they  were  preaching  a  strange  religion, 
aroused  an  interest  as  intense  as  it  was  wide-spread. 

1  "  Missionary  Jubilee,"  p.  336. 


82  FIRST  BAPTIST  CHURCH. 

Finally  thirty-six  delegates  were  appointed  from  eleven 
States  and  the  District  of  Columbia  to  meet  in  Conven- 
tion and  devise  a  plan  for  united  work  in  answer  to  the 
call  of  God.  Of  the  thirty-six  delegates,  the  following 
thirty-three  met  in  the  old  First  Baptist  Church  in  La- 
grange Place  on  Wednesday,  May  i8,  1814: 

Massachusetts.— ^&vs.  Thomas  Baldwin,  U.D.,  Lucius  Bolles,  A.M. 

Rhode  Island — Rev.  John  Gano,  A.M. 

New  York. — Rev.  John  Williams,  Mr.  Thomas   Hewitt,  Mr.  Edward 

Probyn,  Mr.  Nathaniel  Smith. 
NeTt<  Jersey. — Revs.  Burgiss  Allison,  D.D.,  Richard  Proudfoot,  Josiah 

Stratton,  William  Boswell,  Henry  Smalley,  A.M.,   Mr.  Matthew 

Randall,  Mr.  John  Sisty,  Mr.  Stephen  Ustick. 
Pennsylvania. — Revs.   William    Rogers,    D.D.,    Henry    Holcombe, 

D.D.,  William  Staughton,  D.D.,  William  White,  A.M.,  John  P. 

Peckworth,  Horatio  G.  Jones,  Silas  Hough,  Joseph  Matthias. 
Delaware. — Rev.  Daniel  Dodge. 
Maryland. — Revs.  Lewis  Richards,  Thomas  Brooke. 
District  of  Columbia.— ^^v.  Luther  Rice,  A.M. 
Virgi7tia. — Revs.  Robert  B.  Semple,  Jacob  Grigg. 
North  Carolina. — Rev.  James  A.  Ronaldson. 
South   Carolina. — Rev.   Richard    Furman,   D.D.,    Hon.  Matthias   B. 

Talmadge. 
Georgia. — Rev.  W.  B.  Johnson. 

As  a  result  of  their  deliberations,  the  "  General  Mission- 
ary Convention  of  the  Baptist  Denomination  of  the  United 
States  for  Foreign  Missions"  was  established,  but  on 
account  of  its  cumbrous  name,  and  as  the  Convention  met 
only  once  in  three  years,  it  was  always  known  as  the  "  Tri- 
ennial Convention."  The  Executive  Board  of  twenty-one 
Commissioners  organized  with  the  Rev.  Dr.  Baldwin  as 
President,  the  Rev.  Doctors  Holcombe  and  Rogers  (the 
first  the  active,  the  other  a  former  pastor  and  still  a  mem- 
ber of  our  church)  as  Vice-Presidents,  and  the  Rev.  Dr. 
Staughton  (also  an  ex-pastor)  as  Corresponding  Secretary, 
an  office  which  he  held  until  the  removal  of  the  Board  to 
Boston  in  1826. 


BICENTENNIAL    CELEBRATION.  83 

The  Convention  retained  its  name  until  1845  when, 
owing  to  an  amicable  separation  of  the  Northern  and 
Southern  Baptists,  due  to  the  slavery  question,  the  present 
Foreign  Missionary  Society  of  the  Northern  Baptists  was 
formed,  and  went  into  operation  in  May,  1846,  under  the 
name  of  the  "  American  Baptist  Missionary  Union." 

It  is  strange,  when  we  look  back  over  the  enormous 
amount  of  good  work  done  all  over  the  world  by  the  Trien- 
nial Convention  and  the  Missionary  Union,  to  see  the  sharp 
opposition  which  was  manifested  to  the  noble  idea.  "The 
Missionary  enterprise  was  deemed  by  many  pious  persons 
as  chimerical  and  Utopian.^  "  A  Rhode  Island  editor  said  : 
"  I  think  it  my  duty  to  crush  this  rising  missionary  spirit."^ 
Fortunately  for  the  world  and  for  the  Baptist  Church 
a  wiser  spirit  prevailed,  and  the  evangelization  of  the 
heathen  has  gone  forward  at  a  steady  and  accelerating 
pace  from  then  until  now. 

Our  church  has  had  a  vital  connection  with  the  Union, 
not  only  at  its  inception,  but  also  later  through  our  Honor- 
ary Pastor,  who  was  President  of  the  Union  for  four  years, 
Samuel  Smith,  the  veteran  missionary  to  Siam,  and  other 
missionaries  and  active  managers,  and  Dr.  Tupper  and  two 
other  members  (Mrs.  E.  W.  Bucknell  and  Dr.  W.  W.  Keen) 
are  members  of  the  Board  of  Managers  at  the  present  time. 

But  not  only  were  Foreign  Missions  aided  by  our 
church,  but  in  October,  1800,  on  the  invitation  of  the 
First  Church,  plans  were  laid  for  a  Home  Missionary 
Society,  and  in  1810  Dr.  Staughton,  then  our  pastor  and 
Secretary  of  the  Society,  announced  that  there  were  seven 
missionaries  in  the  field.  In  1810  (November  9th)  sixteen 
women,  with  Dr.  Staughton's  aid,  formed  a  Missionary 
Society  in  our  own  church  and  entered  upon  active  work.^ 
In  18 1 8  the"  Baptist  Society  for  City  Missions  "  was  estab- 

1  "  Missionary  Jubilee,"  p.  9.  2  //,/,/,  ^  p_  i6_ 

^  "  Life  of  Mary  Plallman,"  p.   t^t^. 


84  FIRST  BAPJIST  CHURCH. 

lished,  the  forerunner  of  the  later  Baptist  Church  Exten- 
sion Society  and  of  our  present  admirable  and  efficient 
City  Mission  Society. 

In  1815,  also,  another  movement  of  untold  value  was 
begun  in  our  church.  This  was  the  organization  of  the 
Sunday  School.  The  first  Sunday  School  had  been  estab- 
lished in  England  by  Robert  Raikes  in  1780.  The  move- 
ment soon  extended  throughout  all  England,  so  that 
in  1789  there  were  over  300,000  scholars  enrolled.  As 
early  as  1791  the  "  Philadelphia  Society  for  the  Support 
and  Instruction  of  First  Day,  or  Sunday,  Schools,"  was 
formed.  In  November,  1804,  the  Second  Baptist  Church 
of  Baltimore  organized  its  Sabbath  School.  One  week 
before  our  school  was  started,  the  first  Sunday  School  in 
Philadelphia — that  of  the  Second  Presbyterian  Church — 
was  inaugurated.  At  first  teaching  in  the  Sunday  Schools 
was  deemed  a  secular  occupation,  and  the  teachers  were 
paid  a  shilling  a  Sabbath,  and  later  as  much  as  $100  a  year. 

Indeed,  the  object  of  our  own  school,  as  set  forth  in  the 
Constitution  of  the  "  Sunday  School  Society  of  the  P'irst 
Baptist  Church  and  Congregation  of  Philadelphia "  in 
18 19,  is  stated  to  be — 

"  To  instruct  children  in  the  first  principles  of  an  English 
education  and  endeavor  with  a  divine  blessing  to  impress  on 
their  young  and  tender  minds  the  important  truths  of  the 
Gospel." 

On  September  21,  1815,'  Mrs.  Ann  Rhees,  Miss  Mary 
Hallman,  Mrs.  Sarah  Ogden,  and  Miss  Emily  Ramage 
opened  our  school,  with  doubtful  words  from  Dr.  Hol- 
combe,  the  then  Pastor,  and  hearty  encouragement  from 
my  grandfather.   Deacon   Joseph   Keen.     The  school  was 

'  The  exact  date  is  doubtful.  Mary  Ilallman's  account  only  says  "the 
fall  of  1815."  Dr.  Wanen  Randolph,  "  Baptists  and  the  National  Centen- 
ary," p.  231,  says  "Sept.  21,  1815,"  and  in  a  personal  letter  to  me  states  that 
he  had  this  date  from  Mrs.  Eliz.  W.  Moore,  who  was  a  child  in  the  school  and 
was  connected  with  it  for  seventy-eight  years.  The  general  tradition  is  that 
llie  school  liegan  on  the  second  Sunday  in  October. 


BI-CENTENNIAL    CELEBRATION.  85 

limited  to  200  scholars  in  two  divisions,  male  and  female, 
in  six  sections,  from  those  of  the  first  who  could  read  the 
Bible  well  to  those  of  the  sixth  who  were  learning  the 
alphabet.  A  full  history  of  the  school  is  given  later  in  this 
volume. 

But  this  period  also  saw  the  final  extinction  of  an  earl)^ 
educational  effort,  which  even  in  its  death  made  an  honor- 
able record.  The  full  history  is  to  be  found  in  a  Report  of 
a  Committee  on  the  "  Grammar  School  Fund  "  presented 
to  the  church  on  September  27,  1875.  This  fund,  the 
report  states,  was  originally  raised  in  1756.  The  Minutes 
of  April  16,  1822,  state  that  it  was  begun  November  12, 
1760.  It  was  incorporated  April  19,  1797.  It  was  started 
by  contributions  from  the  Baptist  Churches  in  this  vicinity 
"for  the  support  of  a  Latin  Grammar  School  for  the  bene- 
fit of  young  men  studying  for  the  ministry."  Its  cor- 
porate title  was  the  "  Society  for  promoting  Learning 
among  the  Baptist  Churches  holding  Believers  Baptism  by 
Immersion  and  Annually  meeting  in  Association  in  Phila- 
delphia." It  seems  to  have  been  discontinued  before  the 
end  of  the  Eighteenth  Century.  But  the  "  Grammar 
School  Fund"  continually  reappears  on  our  Minutes  and 
upon  the  Treasurer's  Book  even  up  to  1875.  In  1838-39, 
however,  the  existing  "  Funds  "  were  returned  pro  rata  to 
the  contributing  churches,  our  church  receiving  32030.34. 
Its  principal  was  used  for  building  the  stores  on  Second 
Street.  But  our  church  religiously  paid  the  interest, 
$121.82,  every  year  to  the  Poor  Fund  of  the  church.  In 
1875,  however,  the  obligation  was  finally  canceled. 

III.  The  Period  of  Contention— 1816-1835. 
I   shall  condense  the  history  of  this  period  into  a  very 
few  words,  reciting  only  the  facts  as  briefly  as  is  consistent 
with  clearness.     I   shall   make  no   comments  except  upon 
ourselves. 


86  FIRST  BAPTIS'J-  CHURCH. 

Those  who  took  part  in  the  unfortunate  and  acrimonious 
quarrels  of  three-quarters  of  a  century  ago  are  long  since 
dead.  We  may  well  let  their  quarrels  be  buried  with 
them,  and  regard  them  only  in  the  light  of  History.  This 
is  the  most  Christian  course  and  the  one  which  makes  for 
peace  and  harmony. 

I  have  read  and  re-read  all  of  the  voluminous  Minutes, 
pamphlets,  reports,  and  papers  relating  to  these  years,  and 
I  must  confess  they  are  dreary  reading.  Our  fathers  on 
both  sides  were  often  quick-tempered,  ready  to  take  offense 
and  to  give  vent  to  their  feelings  in  strong  words  and  un- 
wise deeds.  Let  it  be  our  part  to  show  that  we  can  rise 
superior  to  them. 

The  trouble  with  the  Philadelphia  Association  began  in 
October,  1816,  and  originated  from  the  case  of  the  First 
African  Church.  Two  bodies,  each  claiming  to  be  the 
First  African  Church,  applied  for  admission  to  the  Associa- 
tion. Dr.  Holcombe  and  the  members  of  our  church  be- 
lieved most  earnestly  that  the  Association  decided  unwisely, 
and  had  admitted  to  membership  a  body  which  was  not  the 
true  African  Church,  and  was  a  disgrace  to  the  Baptist 
denomination.  So  strong  was  the  feeling  that  an  energetic 
protest  against  the  proceedings  of  the  Association  was 
made  by  our  church. 

In  addition  to  this  a  personal  quarrel  arose  between  Dr. 
Staughton,  who  had  been  our  pastor,  and  Dr.  Holcombe, 
our  then  pastor,  over  the  case  of  Rev.  William  White,  the 
pastor  of  the  Second  Baptist  Church,  who  had  been  ex- 
cluded by  that  church.  The  personal  dispute  between 
these  two  leaders  was  carried  into  the  Association,  thus 
further  involving  our  church. 

The  Association  quarrel  became  still  more  acute  in  1818. 
Our  delegates  failing  to  procure  specifications  of  what  the 
"  palpable  misrepresentations  "  were  which  the  Association 
asserted  existed  in  the  protest,  withdrew  from  the  Associa- 


BI-CENTENNIAL    CELEBRATION.  87 

tion.  Thereupon  the  Association  withdrew  the  hand  of 
fellowship  from  our  church. 

Our  church  then  remained  as  an  unassociated  church 
until  1832,  when  they  united  with  others  in  forming  the 
Central  Union  Association,  as  stated  below.  In  1895,  as  will 
be  related  later,  we  rejoined  the  Philadelphia  Association. 

But  the  period  of  contention  was  not  yet  over.  The 
formal  official  severing  of  the  ties  between  our  church 
and  the  Association  was  accomplished,  but  the  passions 
aroused  by  the  controversy  were  not  allayed,  and  broke 
out  anew  in  1824. 

When  once  Pandora's  box  is  opened,  what  multitudes  of 
afflictions  are  let  loose ! 

Dr.  Holcombe,  though  a  man  of  deep  piety,  seems  also 
to  have  been  a  man  of  quick  temper  and  rather  arbitrary 
conduct,  and  probably  his  Deacons  were  quite  as  quick  to 
take  offense.  Dissensions  between  them  broke  out  in  1824. 
In  1823  he  had  published  the  second  edition  of  a  book 
called  "  Primitive  Theology."  Some  of  the  chapters  had 
been  preached  in  our  church  as  sermons,  but  the  book 
was  his  own  personal  publication.  Lecture  VII  had 
shaken  the  belief  of  many  in  the  hyper-Calvinism  of  the 
day,  and  it  was  claimed  that  it  was  heterodox  in  that  it 
asserted  that  Faith  was  attainable  by  human  means.  This 
last  allegation  both  Dr.  Holcombe  and  the  church  repeat- 
edly denied,  and  said  that  he  held  that  Faith  was  attainable, 
*'  but  only  as  the  free  gift  of  a  Sovereign  and  unchangeable 
God.'" 

1  In  order  that  an  opinion  may  be  formed  as  to  this  lecture,  I  reprint  the 
portion  on  the  "Attainability  of  Faith."  This  was  the  only  evidence  ever 
adduced  to  support  the  assertion  that  either  Dr.  Holcombe  or  the  Church  had 
been  guilty  of  any  departure  from  the  faith.  On  January  8,  1899,  this  extract 
was  incorporated  into  his  sermon  by  Dr.  Tupper,  and  excited  not  the  least 
unfavorable  comment  (see  also  "The  Heresy  of  Yesterday  the  Orthodoxy 
of  To-day,"  in  the  "  Commonwealth  "  for  January  19,  1899) : 

"Secondly,  from  Scripture  and  experience  we  hope  to  show  that  faith  is 


88  FIRST  BAJ'Jlsr   CHURCH. 

This  charge  of  heresy  I  find  was  prominent  only  at  the 
beginning  of  the  controversy,  and  again   at  the  end,  when 

attainable.  I'he  authors  of  our  most  approved  dictionaries,  all  inform  us, 
that  to  attain  fs  to  obtain,  or  procure,  an  object  of  desire,  whether  as  wages,  or 
a  gift,  by  merit,  or  by  grace  :  so  that  from  their  definition  of  the  word  attain, 
its  kindred  word,  attainable,  must  mean  obtainable,  procurable,  or  that  which 
by  some  means,  may  be  obtained,  or  procured.  For  illustration,  a  sight  of 
London,  or  Paris,  by  an  American  savage,  who  never  saw  the  Atlantic,  is 
attainable:  though  he  cannot  swim  across  the  ocean,  nor  accomplish  the  voy- 
age in  his  canoe,  yet  he  may  see  either  of  those  cities  by  other  attainable 
means.  But  a  residence,  by  any  inhabitant  of  this  globe,  in  the  moon,  is  not 
attainable,  it  is  obviously  unattainable.  To  effect  it  is  beyond  human  power, 
and  is  not  a  revealed  object  of  the  divine  :  and  were  faith  unattainable,  as  the 
gift  of  God,  to  urge  the  necessity  of  it,  for  any  purpose,  would  be  as  gross  an 
insult  as  could  be  offered  to  an  audience.  And  this  view  of  the  point  in  ques- 
tion, we  shall  find,  accords  with  the  Scriptures.  Speaking  of  omniscience, 
David  says,  '  Such  knowledge  is  too  wonderful  for  me  ;  it  is  high,  I  cannot 
attain  unto  it.'  But  what  inspired  writer  says  of  faith,  '  I  cannot  attain  unto 
it'?  Much  less  can  it  be  supposed  that  any  of  these  holy  men  would  say, 
'  Faith  is  not  attainable.'  This  would  be  virtually  saying,  divine  testimony  is 
so  perfectly  incredil)le,  that  no  rational  creature  can  possibly  believe  it  I 

'•  Hosea,  speaking  of  the  wicked  Samaritans,  exclaims,  '  How  long  will  it 
be  ere  they  attain  to  innocency  ?  '  Now  to  attain  to  innocency,  which  is  to 
cease  to  do  evil,  is  impossible  without  previously  attaining  to  faith  ;  so  that 
this  prophet  is  a  witness  to  faith's  attainableness.  Paul  was  striving,  pressing 
forward,  that,  '  If  by  any  means,'  said  he,  '  I  might  attain  unto  the  resurrec- 
tion of  the  dead.'  This  apostle,  therefore,  believed  in  the  attainableness  of  a 
glorious  resurrection,  evidently  the  resurrection  of  the  just,  which  certainly 
presupposes  faith's  attainableness.  Besides,  '  The  Gentiles  have  attained  to 
righteousness,  even  the  righteousness  which  is  of  faith.'  And,  indeed,  the 
foundation  of  faith,  in  the  lowest  as  well  as  in  the  highest  acceptation  of  the 
term,  is  deeply  laid  in  the  constitution  of  things.  There  is  an  inquisitive 
propensity  in  all  children  of  sound  minds  :  and  before  their  unsuspicious 
confidence  is  abused,  they  implicitly  believe,  as  soon  as  they  understand,  those 
intrusted  with  the  direction  of  their  ideas  :  and  when  impressions,  even  the 
most  erroneous,  are  once  fixed,  they  are  with  difficulty,  if  at  all,  eradicated 
from  their  minds.  In  many  lamentable  instances,  the  greatest  and  most  dan- 
gerous errors  and  absurdities,  imbibed  in  early  youth,  are  pertinaciously  ad- 
hered to  through  every  sulisequent  stage  of  life.  Under  the  influence  of 
educational  prejudice,  and  example,  family  liroils,  national  antipathies,  legend- 
ary tales,  and  savage  customs,  have  descended  from  remote  antiquity  to  our 
own  times.  And  as  the  human  mind  is  brought  from  the  dawn  of  its  existence, 
to  unfold  susceptible,  retentive,  and  imitative  powers  in  believing  every  s]3ecies 
of  falsehood,  we  may  fairly  infer  its  capacity,  through  divine  influence,  to 
receive  the  truth  of  the  Scriptures.  But  facts  prove,  beyond  debate,  that  sav- 
ing faith  is  found  in  all  descriptions  of  rational  adults,  and  consequently  is 
attainable. 

'•  It  is  written  in  the  projjhets  they  all  shall  be  taught  of  God  :  and  every  one 
that  heareth  and  learneth  of  the  Father,  believeth  in  Christ.  On  these  grounds 
we  may  as  rationally  expect,  if  we  sincerely  endeavour,  to  believe  with  Chris- 
tians, as  we  can  expect,  by  exertion,  to  obtain  any  other  blessing  of  life.  It 
is,  indeed,  said  that  many  shall  seek  to  enter  in  at  the  straight  gate  that  leadeth 


BI-  CENTENNIA  L    CEL  EBRA  TION.  89 

our  trouble  was  brought  once   more  into  the  Association, 
which   naturally  was    in   no  very  friendly  attitude  toward 

unto  life,  and  shall  not  be  able  :  but  may  it  not  be  said,  with  equal  truth,  that 
many  shall  seek  health,  learning,  riches,  honours,  and  shall  not  be  able  to 
obtain  either  of  these  objects  ?  And  it  is  not  less  evident,  that  many  seek  these, 
or  at  least  one  of  these  things  with  their  whole  hearts,  as  well  as  from  their 
youth  up,  without  success :  but  none  will  venture  to  affirm,  that  any  have  ever 
so  sought  faith  and  found  it  unattainable.  Who  among  you  will  venture  to 
contradict  Jesus  Christ  in  the  assertion,  '  If  any  man  will  do  his  will,'  the  will 
of  God,  '  he  shall  know  of  the  doctrine,'  preached  by  me,  '  whether  it  be  of 
God,  or  whether  I  speak  of  myself.'  But,  if  you  doubt  the  truth  of  what  is 
here  affirmed,  test  it  by  determining  to  do  according  to  your  abilities,  if  you 
can  but  know,  the  will  of  God  :  and  if,  in  the  result,  you  should  be  able  to  say 
that  you  cannot,  for  want  of  evidence,  know  nor  even  believe,  that  the  doctrine 
of  Christ  is  of  God,  there  will,  for  once,  be  a  new  thing  under  the  sun.  And 
surely  faith  must  be  sufficient  to  reward  any  exertion,  or  countervail  any  sacri- 
fice, which  can  be  made  in  seeking  it  with  success.  This  cannot  be  questioned, 
as  thousands,  whose  intelligence  and  veracity  are  unimpeachable,  are  ready  to 
rise  up,  and  solemnly  affirm,  that  they  would  not  exchange  their  faith  for  the 
full  enjoyment  of  all  the  pleasures  of  sense  for  ages  of  ages  :  and  what  highly 
aggravates  the  sin  of  neglecting,  which  is  to  despise,  this  precious  grace,  if  it 
were  possible  unavailingly  to  pursue  it  through  every  stage  of  life,  the  pursuit 
itself,  would  realize  far  greater  advantages  than  the  world  bestows  on  its  most 
favored  votaries.  You  may  suppose,  after  all,  that  faith,  acknowledged,  with 
boundless  gratitude,  to  be  the  gift  of  God,  cannot  be  an  object  of  our  rational 
endeavours  :  but  why  not  ?  Bread  is  the  gift  of  God :  yet  we  are  not  only 
taught  to  pray,  '  Give  us  this  day  our  daily  bread,'  but  commanded  to  labour 
for  it  with  our  hands.  Nothing  but  a  compound  of  ignorance  and  vice,  can 
say,  '  If  God  has  determined  to  give  me  faith  I  shall  have  it :  but  if  not  my 
efforts  can  have  no  tendency  to  procure  it.'  What!  is  there  no  connexion 
established  betwixt  means  and  ends !  Seed  time  and  harvest  shall  continue, 
according  to  an  unalterable  decree  :  but  does  it  follow  that  we  shall  reap 
without  sowing?  It  was  declared  as  immutably  determined,  Ilezekiah  should 
live  fifteen  years  from  a  given  time  ;  but  did  it  follow  that  he  was  under  no 
necessity,  for  that  term,  to  use  either  food  or  medicine  ?  A  blind  man  was  to 
be  restored  to  sight  by  the  power  of  God  ;  but  did  divine  wisdom  prescribe  no 
MEANS  for  the  accomplishment  of  this  lienevolent  purpose?  Does  a  farmer 
say  if  God  has  decreed  to  give  me  a  plentiful  crop,  I  shall  accordingly  have 
it:  but  if  not  vain  would  be  my  labour?  In  a  word,  does  common  sense 
infer  from  the  fact,  faith  is  the  gift  of  God,  that  he  has  instituted  no  medium 
through  which  he  will  ordinarily  bestow  it?  Do  you  not  know  that  faith 
comes  by  hearing,  and  hearing  by  the  word  of  God  ?  Turn  away  your  eyes  from 
beholding,  and  your  ears  from  hearing  vanity;  be  temperate  in  all  things: 
search  the  Scriptures:  fast  awhile  occasionally:  keep  your  hearts  with  all 
diligence  :  spend  at  least  a  few  minutes  alone,  once  or  twice  a  day  :  pray  as 
well  as  you  can :  with  or  without  a  form  ;  if  peradventure  you  may  get  rid  of 
those  traits  of  character  which  exclude  from  heaven,  and  obtain  the  faith,  the 
filial  fear,  and  holy  love,  without  whicli  you  cannot  see;  not  even  see  the 
kingdom  of  God  :  and  in  a  course  of  careful  and  candid  examination  of  the 
grounds  of  faith  in  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ,  you  will,  probably,  to  say  no  more, 
by  happy  experience,  be  convinced  that  this  indispensable  prerequisite  to  eternal 
salvation  is  not  unattainable." 


90  FIRST  BAPTIST  CJJURCJI. 

our  churcli  after  the  former  dispute.  Otherwise  the  whole 
trouble  was  a  personal  one  between  the  Deacons  and  their 
adherents  on  the  one  side,  and  Dr.  Holcombe  (and  after- 
ward Dr.  Brantly)  and  the  majority  of  the  church,  who 
adhered  to  the  pastors,  on  the  other.  This  is  well  shown  by 
the  opinions  of  the  Supreme  Court  (Appendix  M).  I  have 
not  found,  either  in  the  Minutes  of  the  church  or  of  the 
Association  or  in  any  other  document,  any  evidence  what- 
ever, beyond  mere  general  assertion  (which  is  so  easily 
made  and  so  easily  believed),  that  the  church  ever  indorsed 
or  held  any  doctrines  at  variance  with  the  Philadelphia 
Confession  of  Faith. 

Attempts  at  reconciliation  were  made  on  several  occa- 
sions, but  though  temporarily  successful,  they  all  failed, 
and  the  dissensions  were  renewed  with  greater  bitterness 
than  before.  The  Sunday  after  a  seeming  reconciliation  on 
May  4,  1824,  Dr.  Holcombe  preached  what  proved  to  be 
his  last  sermon,  for  he  fell  ill  immediately  afterward,  and 
died  broken-hearted  May  22,  1 824.  Dr.  William  T.  Brantly 
succeeded  him  December  7,  1825.  During  this  year  the 
Deacons  had  been  first  deposed,  then  suspended,  and  later 
excluded,  together  with  their  adherents. 

In  October,  1826,  the  excluded  members,  seventy  in  num- 
ber,^ applied  for  admission  to  the  Philadelphia  Baptist  Asso- 
ciation under  the  name  of"  The  First  Baptist  Church,"  since, 
as  they  asserted,  the  majority  had  departed  from  the  faith. 
Our  church,  however,  reaffirmed  their  continued  adher- 
ence to  the  doctrines  set  forth  in  the  Philadelphia  Confes- 
sion of  P'aith. 

A  Council  to  settle  the  differences  was  reconmiended  by 
the  Association  and  accepted  by  our  church,  provided  it 
should  be  composed  of  unprejudiced  persons.  The  Asso- 
ciation added  that  the  adjustment  must  be  effected  within 

1  Souvenir  Program,  150th  Anniversary  Spruce  Street  lSa]5tist  Cburcli, 
P-  13- 


B [-CENTENNIAL    CELEBRATION.  91 

a  year,  and  if  either  party  refused  such  an  adjustment,  it 
would  be  rejected  by  the  Association. 

The  personnel  of  the  Council  was  the  rock  on  which  the 
Association's  proposal  was  wrecked.  Our  church  pro- 
posed Revs.  Lucius  Bolles,  Heman  Lincoln,  Elon  Galusha, 
Leland  Howard,  William  Gammell,  and  President  Fran- 
cis Wayland.  The  others  proposed  Dr.  Staughton,  and 
Revs.  Thomas  B.  Montayne,  H.  G.  Jones,  J.  P.  Peck- 
worth,  Daniel  Dodge,  and  Joseph  Mathias.  Four  of  those 
last  nominated — viz.,  Montayne,  Jones,  Dodge,  and  Mathias 
— had  been  members  of  a  former  ex  parte  Council  of  Octo- 
ber 6,  1825  (see  Appendix  P),  Dr.  Staughton,  a  fifth,  had 
been  involved  upon  the  opposite  side  in  our  prior  trouble 
with  the  Philadelphia  Association,  and  the  sixth,  Peck- 
worth,  was  also  alleged  to  be  unfriendly  to  us.  In  a  letter 
dated  July  18,  1827,  to  Mr.  Walter,  Dr.  Brantly  formally 
declined  to  submit  the  matter  to  a  Council  so  composed. 

In  October,  1827,  the  applicants  (the  excluded  members) 
were  admitted  to  the  Association  under  the  title  of  the 
"  First  Baptist  Church,"  on  the  ground  that  they  had  fully 
complied  with  the  recommendation  of  the  former  }-ear  and 
adhered  to  the  Philadelphia  Confession  of  Faith. 

Meantime  the  excluded  members,  fifty-nine  in  number, 
had  also  applied  for  a  charter  under  the  name  of  the 
"  First  Baptist  Church."     Our  church — 

"  Not  having  notice  of  the  application  no  objection  was 
made  at  the  time,  and  the  Court  gave  it  allowance.  Before 
the  Charter  was  signed  by  the  Governor,  the  Counsel  for 
the  Church  obtained  information  of  its  allowance  and 
the  rule  was  granted  by  the  Court  to  show  cause  why  it 
should  not  be  revoked  "  (Appendix  M). 

Four  hundred  and  thirty  (430)  members  of  the  Church 
protested  against  the  granting  of  the  charter  (Appendix  M). 

The  case  was  argued  January  7,  1828,  and  the  judges 
divided  equally,  two  to   two.     As  there  was  a  vacancy  in 


92  FIRST  BAPTIST  CHURCH. 

the  Court,  it  was  reargued  in  1829  before  a  full  bench. 
While  we  had,  in  fact,  existed  as  a  religious  body  since 
1698,  and  as  a  regularly  "  constituted  "  church  since  1746, 
we  had  never  been  legally  incorporated,  though  the  desira- 
bility of  doing  so  had  been  repeatedly  considered.  All 
our  own  property  and  all  our  trust  funds  were  held,  not  by 
the  church  as  a  body,  but  by  individual  trustees.  In  law, 
therefore,  there  was  no  such  "  corporation  "  as  a  "  First 
Baptist  Church,"  though  in  fact  it  had  existed  for  one 
hundred  and  thirty-one  years.  The  Court,  by  three  to  two, 
granted  the  charter  to  the  minority.  The  opinions  of  the 
majority  and  minority  of  the  Court  are  given  in  full  in 
Appendix  M. 

This  ended  the  controversy.  Each  church  went  on  its 
way  doing  much  good  work.  Even  during  the  troubles 
in  1827-28,  there  were  constant  additions  under  Dr- 
Brantly's  able  and  efficient  preaching.  Our  number  in- 
creased from  419,  recorded  in  1828,  to  459  in  1829  and 
635  in  1835  ;  a  remarkable  result  in  view  of  the  turmoil 
and  confusion    naturally  attending   such  turbulent  times. 

To  their  honor  be  it  said  that  the  first  advances  for  a 
reconciliation  came  from  our  Spruce  Street  brethren  No- 
vember I,  1830.  They  proposed  that  they  should  take  the 
"  Schuylkill  lot,"  and  we  all  the  rest  of  the  church  property 
and  the  Trust  Funds.  This  attempt,  and  another  in  1831, 
failed  of  success.  On  October  15,  1833,  our  church  passed 
resolutions  looking  toward  a  final  settlement,  by  a  vote  of 
83  to  I  (strange  that  one  member  could  have  been  so 
stubborn!).  The  Committee  from  our  church  proposed 
in  brief: 

1.  The  delivery  of  all  deeds,  books,  papers,  etc.,  in  the 
hands  of  the  Executors  of  Levi  Garrett,  to  our  church. 

2.  The  relinquishment  of  all  claim  to  our  property  upon 
receiving  ^5000  in  cash,  in  addition  to  the  funds  in  the 
hands  of  our  late  Treasurer    Levi   Garrett  (about  $iOOo), 


Bl-CENTENNIAL    CELEBRATION.  93 

"  as  a  donation  to  aid  them  in  defraying  the  expenses  in- 
curred in  the  erection  of  their  house  of  worship." 

3.  The  formal  relinquishment  by  them  of  the  name  of 
"The  First  Baptist  Church." 

4.  Each  party  to  erase  all  censures  upon  the  other  from 
their  Minutes. 

December  26,  1833,  the  Committee  reported  that  the 
Spruce  Street  delegates  had  proposed  that  we  pay  them 
$7500  (in  addition  to  the  ^1000  in  the  hands  of  Mr. 
Garrett's  executors),  and  that  finally  the  joint  committee 
had  agreed  to  split  the  difference,  making  our  payment  (in 
cash)  36250. 

Here  matters  stood  until  May  8,  1835,  when  the  final 
agreement  to  settle  the  dispute  was  formulated  as  follows. 
The  original  is  in  our  archives,  and  a  facsimile  of  the  last 
page,  with  the  signatures,  is  given  in  figure  24 : 

Final  Agreement  with  the  Spruce  Street  Church. — 
"  Articles  of  Agreement  entered  into  this  8th  day  of  May 
in  the  year  of  our  Lord  one  thousand  eight  hundred  and 
thirty-five  By  and  Between  the  Baptist  Church  whereof  the 
Members  meet  for  public  worship  in  North  Second  Street 
in  the  City  of  Philadelphia  and  whereof  the  Corporate  Seal 
is  hereto  affixed  Parties  of  the  first  Part,  and  the  Baptist 
Church  whereof  the  Members  meet  for  public  worship  in 
Spruce  Street  between  Fourth  and  Fifth  Streets  in  the  said 
City  and  whereof  the  Corporate  Seal  is  also  hereto  affixed, 
Parties  of  the  Second  Part. 

"  The  Parties  of  the  first  Part  agree  to  relinquish  any  sum 
of  money  which  may  have  been  in  the  hands  of  Levi  Gar- 
rett in  his  life  time,  and  is  now  claimed  by  them  from  the 
Executors  of  the  said  Levi  Garrett  as  Treasurer  of  the  First 
Baptist  Church  of  Philadelphia,  and  to  pay  or  satisfactorily 
secure  to,  or  to  the  use  of,  the  said  Parties  of  the  second 
Part,  the  sum  of  Six  Thousand  Two  Hundred  and  Fifty 
Dollars,  bearing  Interest  payable  half  yearly  from  the  time 
the  conditions  herein  set  forth  are  complied  with  by  the 
party  of  the  second  part,  and  if  secured  the  payment  of  the 
Capital  not  to  be  postponed  beyond  Seven  Years. 


94  FIRS  J-  BAPTIST  CJIUKCU. 

"  The  Parties  of  the  second  Part  agree  to  deliver  forthwith 
to  the  Parties  of  the  first  Part  all  books,  papers,  deeds,  ac- 
counts, muniments  and  evidences  of  title,  records  entries, 
vouchers,  documents  and  all  other  things  whatever  the  pos- 
session of  which  has  at  any  time  heretofore  been  claimed 
by  the  Parties  of  the  first  Part  or  been  the  subject  of  con- 
troversy or  difference  between  them  and  the  Parties  of  the 
Second  Part,  and  which  are  at  this  time  in  the  possession 
or  keeping  or  in  any  way  under  the  direction  or  control  of 
the  Parties  of  the  second  Part  or  any  agent,  officer  or  other 
person  or  persons  acting  for  them  or  in  their  behalf,  and 
they  also  agree  to  release  and  forever  discharge  the  Parties 
of  the  first  Part  and  all  their  Members  from  all  claims  and 
demands  whatsoever  except  only  the  sum  of  Six  Thousand 
Two  Hundred  and  Fifty  Dollars  to  be  paid  or  secured  as 
hereinbefore  mentioned.  And  they  also  agree  that  they 
the  said  Parties  of  the  second  Part  shall  forthwith  cease  to 
use  the  name  by  which  they  were  incorporated  and  shall 
formally  assume  and  adopt  forthwith  and  henceforth  use 
and  stile  themselves  and  be  known  and  called  "  The  Spruce 
Street  Baptist  Church."  And  to  that  intent  and  in  order 
to  be  the  better  enabled  to  effectuate  this  part  of  their 
agreement  shall  without  delay  apply  to  the  Supreme  Court 
of  this  District  for  leave  and  take  and  use  and  employ  all 
lawful  ways  and  means  to  obtain  leave  and  authority  to 
alter  the  articles  and  conditions  of  their  Incorporation  in 
respect  to  their  said  name  accordingly. 

"  The  said  parties  to  these  presents  do  hereby  mutually 
acknowledge  and  declare  that  the  said  Churches  are  sin- 
cerely affected  by  an  anxious  desire  to  terminate  the  dif- 
ferences which  have  heretofore  subsisted  between  them, 
and  to  restore,  as  far  as  it  is  in  their  power  so  to  do,  har- 
mony, good  will,  and  cordial  co-operation  in  Christian  effort 
to  the  whole  Baptist  Denomination. 

"The  Parties  to  this  agreement  respectively  do  hereby 
mutually  acknowledge  the  said  Churches  to  be  Independ- 
ent Churches  of  the  same  faith  and  order,  and  do  agree 
that  all  censures  that  may  be  entered  or  written  upon  the 
minutes  or  records  of  the  said  Churches  respectively 
whereby  the  Members  or  any  of  them  of  the  other  of 
said  Churches  are  effected  or  implicated  shall  be  cancelled 


BI- CENTENNIA L    CELEBKA  71  ON. 


95 


and  erased  and  be  rendered  null  and  void  to  all  intents, 
purports,  and  purposes  whatsoever.  In  Witness  whereoff 
the  said  parties  have  hereto  respectively  set  their  seals  the 
day  and  year  above  written. 

Jos.  S.  Walter  1  For  and  in  behalf  of  the  Parties  of  the 
Silas  W.  Sexton  J       2nd  Part 

Wm.  S.  Hansell      ^ 
.William  W.  Keen  (^  For  and  in  behalf  of  the  Parties  of 


Wm.  Ford 

John  Mulfor 


D,  Jr.  ] 


the  First  Part." 


./^ . 


c^<r/-    tt^^^i,^    y^fa^^^i./^  'f^'^!^'^ 


S^/^^ 


CAit>^^t<^ 


7^T^   ^2>t-e-^2:>  C^ 


/ca.i^-^^^i^-^/''^-^ 


Fig.  24.— Facsimile  of  the  Last  Page  of  the  Agreement  with   the  Spruce 
Street  Church,  Terminating  the  Difficulties.  Dated  May  8,  1S35. 


96  FIRST  BAPTIST  CHURCH. 

In  accordance  with  this  agreement,  the  Spruce  Street 
Church  promptly  applied  for  a  change  of  name,  and  their 
present  name  was  granted  them  February  12,  1836.  As 
early  as  October,  1834,  their  name  was  so  changed  on  the 
Minutes  of  the  Association. 

Upon  our  part,  I  regret  to  say  that,  by  reason  of  pecu- 
niary embarrassment  and  through  irritation  over  the  date 
which  the  Spruce  Street  Church  claimed  as  that  of  their 
origin  (1746),^  not  only  was  the  interest  not  fully  and 
promptly  paid,  but  the  principal,  which  was  due  in  1842, 
also  was  allowed  to  remain  unpaid. 

At  last  in  185  i  the  matter  was  forever  settled  by  our 
deeding  to  them  the  "  Schuylkill  lot  "  for  $4000  (subject 
to  a  mortgage  of  ^5000)  and  our  certificate  of  loan  for 
^^2250,  thus  giving  them  ;$6250,  the  original  amount  agreed 
upon.  The  Spruce  Street  Church  generously  abated  ^1875, 
for  five  years  of  unpaid  interest.  March  11,  185  i,  as  re- 
lated later,  the  lot  was  deeded  to  them  and  rebought  by  us 
the  next  day  (to  make  a  clear  title),  we  giving"  three  notes 
of  John  C.  Davis,  indorsed  by  Thomas  Wattson,  amount- 
ing to  ^4000,  and  two  scripts  of  the  First  Baptist  Church 
of  Philadelphia,  amounting  to  ;$2250,  also  guaranteed  by 
said  Wattson."  - 

I  have  thus  given  the  facts  very  briefly.  It  is  a  sorrow 
to  me,  and  I  am  sure  to  our  entire  church,  that  there  ever 
was  any  "period  of  contention."  It  is  now  only  History 
and  can  be  related  without  passion  and  judged  without 
prejudice.  Let  the  only  future  "contention"  be  who 
shall  do  the  most  and  the  best  work  for  the  Master  and 
for  Mankind. 

^  The  dates  of  constitution  of  the  Churches  are  not  given  in  the  Association 
Minutes  until  1843.  The  assumption  of  this  date  {1746)  by  the  Spruce  Street 
Church  led  to  a  correspondence,  which  is  recorded  in  our  Minutes  of  October 
9,  1843,  and  January  15,  1844,  and  in  their  Minutes  for  January  li,  1844. 

^  Souvenir  Program  of  the  Spruce  Street  Church,  p.  18. 


BI-CENTENNIAL    CELEBRATION.  97 

In  conclusion  we  may  well  remember  the  advice  of  the 
judicious  Franklin,  who,  when  he  was  asked  to  take  part 
in  a  family  quarrel,  wrote  to  his  sister: 

"  What  can  I  say  between  you,  but  that  I  wish  you  were 
reconciled,  and  that  I  will  love  that  side  best  that  is  most 
ready  to  forgive  and  oblige  the  other,"  ' 

and  the  admonition  of  a  greater  than  Franklin,  who  said  : 

"If  thou  bring  thy  gift  to  the  altar  and  there  remem- 
berest  that  thy  brother  hath  aught  against  thee,  leave  there 
thy  gift  before  the  altar  and  go  thy  way:  first  be  recon- 
ciled to  thy  brother  and  then  come  and  offer  thy  gift."^ 

IV.  The   Period  of  Progress — 1835-1898. 

On  October  18,  1824,  Dr.  William  T.  Brantly  (Fig.  25) 
was  called  to  the  pastorate  of  our  church.  He  accepted 
the  call,  but  on  March  7.  1825,  he  resigned  on  account  of 
the  unsettled  difficulties  in  the  church.  After  the  general 
reconciliation  of  October  24,  1825,  he  was  again  called,  and 
in  December,  1825,  he  finally  accepted.  It  is  worth  notice 
that  on  his  letter  of  acceptance,  covering  four  pages  of 
foolscap,  the  postage  from  Augusta,  Ga.,  was  fifty  cents, 
and  that  it  was  paid  in  cash,  there  being  no  postage  stamps 
in  use  until  many  years  later.  His  relation  to  the  diffi- 
culties of  our  church  has  been  already  noted.  Like 
Staughton,  he  also  conducted  a  school  for  the  first  three 
years  of  his  ministry.  During  his  pastorate  he  baptized 
600  persons  into  the  fellowship  of  the  First  Church.  This 
fact  alone  indicates  his  usefulness  and  his  ability  as  a  pas- 
tor. While  he  was  pastor,  in  1833-34,  extensive  improve- 
ments were  made  in  the  church  and  school-house  at  an  ex- 
pense of  ^10,000. 

On  May  16,  1829,  the  church  became  incorporated  as 
"The    First   Baptist   Church  of  Philadelphia,  meeting  for 

1  "  Century  Magazine,"  November,   1S9S,  p.  35.  2  Matt,  v  :  23,  24. 

7 


g8  FIRST  BAPTIST  CHURCH. 

worship  in  Second  Street  between  High  and  Mulberry 
Streets";  this  cumbrous  title  being  selected  in  order  to 
distinguish  us  from  the  present  Spruce  Street  Baptist 
Church,  then  also  known  as  the  First  Baptist  Church.  On 
April  2,  1853,  by  an  amendment  to  the  Charter,  the  name 
was  changed  to  "  The  First  Baptist  Church  of  the  City  of 


¥\c,.  25. — Rev.  William  Theophili's  Br.a,ntlv,  D.D. 

{From  a  photograph  kindly  furnished  hv  Mrs.  Martha  A.   Mliitehead,  of 

Pittsburg,  Pa.'X 

Philadelphia,"  the  difficulties  with  our  brethren  of  Spruce 
Street  having  been  amicably  settled.  This  is  still  our  cor- 
porate name. 

On  November  10,  1837,  Dr.  Brantly  resigned  on  account 
of  his  health,  and  removed  to  Charleston,  S.  C.  Before 
leaving,  however,  he  was  asked  to  nominate  a  successor,  and 


Bf-CENTENNIAL    CELEBRA  TION. 


99 


upon  his  recommendation  the  Rev.  Dr.  George  B.  Ide,  of 
Boston,  was  invited  to  visit  the  church,  and  on  November 
19th  he  was  called  to  the  pastorate  by  a  large  and  unani- 
mous vote.  On  Dr.  Brantly's  death,  in  March,  1845,  a 
resolution,  which  sounds  rather  strange  to  our  ears,  was 
passed,  requesting  "our  present  pastor,  Bishop  George 
B.  Ide,  to  preach  a  funeral  sermon  on  the  death  of  our  late 
pastor,  Dr.  William  T.  Brantly." 

During  Dr.  Brantly's  pastorate,  on  October  15,  1827, 
the  church  issued  a  call  for  the  formation  of  a  new  Associa- 
tion, and  the  delegates  were  asked  to  convene  on  Decem- 
ber 25th.  This  would  now  be  an  unusual  date,  but  I  find 
that  in  the  early  days  meetings  of  the  church  were  occa- 
sionally held  for  business  on  Christmas  Day,  New  Year's 
Day,  and  the  Fourth  of  July.  No  final  action  was  taken 
toward  the  formation  of  the  new  Association  until  July  31, 
1832,  when  the  Central  Union  Association  was  organized 
in  the  First  Baptist  Church. 

The  Association  was  made  up  of  seven  churches:  Pen- 
nepek  (then,  as  now,  known  as  Lower  Dublin),  the  Frank- 
ford,  Holmesburg,  Mariner's,  Seventh  Street,  and  Camden 
Churches,  and  our  own.  Our  first  delegates  were  Rev. 
William  T.  Brantly,  D.D.,  William  Duncan,  David  Johns, 
Thomas  C.  Teasdale,  William  W.  Keen,  Joseph  Keen, 
Elijah  Griffiths,  John  Davis,  James  W.  Bird,  Henry  Benner, 
William  Ford,  Jesse  Miller,  William  S.  Hansell,  Joseph  M. 
Eldridge,  Benjamin  R.  Loxley,  and  John  Mulford,  Jr. 

"  The  brother  who  stood  foremost  in  the  organization  of 
this  body,  to  whom  all  looked  for  counsel  and  direction, 
and  upon  whom  all  eyes  were  turned  in  all  its  progressive 
moments,  was  the  ever  to  be  revered  William  T.  Brantly, 
the  pastor  of  the  First  Baptist  Church.  In  temper  and 
judgment,  in  character  and  influence,  in  zeal  and  devoted- 
ness,  he  was  only  equalled  by  his  co-worker,  David  Jones, 


loo  FIRS7'  BAPTIST  CHURCH. 

who,  before  the  second  meeting  of  the  Association,  left  his 
Master's  service  '  for  fairer  scenes  on  high.'  "  ' 

Another  event  of  prime  importance  occurred  during  Dr. 
Brantly's  pastorate  :  the  formation  of  the  American  and 
Foreign  Bible  Society  in  our  church  in  1837. 

In  1836  differences  over  Bible  translation  led  to  the  with- 
drawal of  the   Baptists  from  the  American  Bible  Society. 

"  A  provisional  organization  was  immediately  after  formed 
in  New  York,  called  the  American  and  Foreign  Bible  So- 
ciety;  and  the  next  Spring  in  Philadelphia  a  very  intelli- 
gent Convention  of  /1.20  Baptist  Delegates  representing  2/f 
States  met  for  full  deliberation  and  action  on  the  Bible 
question.  After  four  days  deliberation  and  ample  discus- 
sion a  Society  was  formed  with  great  unanimity  under  the 
same  name  as  the  provisional  organization  above  men- 
tioned." " 

Dr.  Ide  (Fig.  26)  and  his  wife  were  received  on  October 
15,  1838.  He  came  from  Boston  with  a  large  reputation 
as  a  preacher,  and  during  the  fourteen  years  that  he  re- 
mained as  pastor  he  well  sustained  his  reputation.  Miss 
Ann  Semple,  one  of  the  few  now  living  who  often  heard 
him  preach,  states  that  during  a  sermon  on  "  Madness  in 
Your  Hearts,"  so  great  was  the  excitement  that  many  men 
rose  from  their  seats  gesticulating.  I  can  well  remember 
as  a  child  seeing  him  in  the  pulpit,  with  its  vertically  plaited 
red  drapery  as  a  background,  his  sonorous  reverberating 
voice,  and  impressive  oratory.  In  1843,  ^'^  ^  powerful 
revival  under  his  preaching,  1 10  persons  were  baptized. 

Dr.  Ide  published  two  volumes  of  sermons,  besides  a 
Sunday  School  book,  a  number  of  missionary  sermons,  and 
other  publications. 

On    September    18,    1839,  a  meeting  was    held    in    our 

1  Minutes  of  the  Fiftieth  Anniversary  of  the  Central  Union  Association. 
-  "  The  Missionary  Jubilee,"   p.  359. 


f   UU-  /m    J^   A.H: 


Printed  tiy  T-  5.  Dux 


BI-CENTENNIAL    CELEBRATION.  loi 

church  to  consider  the  expediency  of  concerted  action  in 
behalf  of  Ministerial  Education.  Our  pastor,  Dr.  Ide, 
offered  a  resolution  stating  the  need  for  a  "  well-trained 
and  efficient  ministry,"  and  advocating  the  formation  of 
"The    Philadelphia    Educational    Society,"  which   a  year 


Fig.  26. — Rev.  George  Barton  Ide,  D.D. 

[From  the  "Baptist  Encyclopedia  "  by  the  courtesy  of  Rev.  Dr.  Cathcart,  the  editor, 

and  Mr.  L.  H.  Evarts,  the  publisher i\ 


later  was  changed  to  the  "  Pennsylvania  Baptist  Minis- 
terial Education  Society." 

In  the  sixty  years  of  its  existence  it  has  helped  to  edu- 
cate over  800  students,  who  have  baptized  100,000  con- 
verts. No  other  tribute  is  needed  as  to  its  value,  and  to 
the  far-seeing  men  who  organized  it. 

The  removal  of  the  church  to    the  westward,  whither 


FIRST  BAP'lIST  CHURCH. 


many  of  our  members  had  removed,  had  been  debated  for 
a  number  of  years,  but  it  was  not  until  October  25,  1852, 


I-iL..  27. — First  Baptist  Church,  Broad  and  Arch  Streets. 
\^Kindly  pholograt>hed  by  Mr.  Robert  G.  lVilsoHi\ 


BICENTENNIAL    CELEBRATION.  103 

that  the  lot  at  Broad  and  Arch  Streets — 147^2  ^eet  on  Arch 
Street  and  188  feet  on  Broad  Street — was  purchased  for 
^55,000.  A  considerable  part  of  this  lot  on  Arch  Street 
and  a  part  on  Broad  Street  were,  most  unfortunately,  sold, 
or  we  might  have  still  remained  there,  with  a  noble  lot 
equal  to  all  our  needs.  The  Lagrange  Place  Church  was 
sold  June  30,  1862,'  for  ^19,104.     The  removal  and  sale, 


Fig.  2S. — Audience  Room,  Broad  and  Arch,  189S. 
\From  a  photograph  by  Mr.  Robert  G.  IVilson.] 


especially  of  the  Burying  Ground,  were  the  cause  of  much 
dissatisfaction  among  many  of  the  older  members. 

The  corner-stone  of  the  new  church  (Figs.  27.  28,  and 
29)  was  laid  by  Dr.  Ide,  October  7,  1853,  and  the  building 
was  completed  in  1856.     Its  then  surroundings  were  any- 

'  Trustees'  Minute-book,  C. 


I04 


1-IKST  BAPTIST  CHURCH. 


thing  but  attractive.  The  Columbia  Railroad  existed  on 
Bro^d  Street,  and  brought  with  it  warehouses,  coal-yards, 
lumber-sheds,  and  shanties.  "  Where  Dr.  Seiss's  Lutheran 
Church  now  stands  had  been  the  site  of  the  Arch  Street 
Prison,  with  its  plagues  and  horrors  of  former  years." 
Now  the  locality  is  one  of  the  most  attractive  in  the  city. 
What  changes  a  single  life  may  see  in  a  great  city! 


Fit;.  29.— Sunday  School  Room,  Broad  and  Akch,  i'^9S. 
[From  a  photoi>:iat>h  by  Mr.  Robt-rt  G.  ll'ilso}!.] 


An  event  of  the  greatest  importance  in  the  educational 
history  of  the  denomination  occurred  in  1846 — the  found- 
ing of  the  University  of  Lewisburg,  now  Bucknell  Univer- 
sity. The  movement  originated  in  the  Northumberland 
Association  in  1845,  but  the  aid  lent  by  our  Pastor,  Dr.  Ide, 
and  our  church  was  a  potent  factor  in  its  establishment  on 
a  firm  basis.     The  meeting  of  the  brethren  in  Philadelphia 


BICENTENNIAL    CELEBRATION.  105 

to  consider  the  advisability  of  the  enterprise  was  held  in 
our  church.  Eighty  members  of  our  church  contributed 
to  the  first  Endowment  Fund  of  ;^  100,000  in  sums  of  from 
;^2000  down.  Our  Deacon,  Thomas  Wattson,  was  the  first 
President  of  the  Board  of  Trustees,  serving  from  1850  to 
1874,  while  many  members,  both  of  the  Trustees  and  the 
Curators,  were  from  our  church.  Professor  Francis  W. 
Tustin,  the  honored  father  of  our  present  Superintendent 
of  the  Sunday  School,  Ernest  L.  Tustin,  and  my  own  class- 
mate in  the  High  School,  was,  for  thirty  years.  Professor 
of  the  Greek  Language  and  Literature  in  the  University, 
and  twice  served  as  President  ad  interim.  The  influence  of 
the  University  in  giving  to  our  Church  and  to  the  denomi- 
nation an  educated  and  consecrated  ministry  and  laity  is 
simply  incalculable. 

On  September  13,  1852,  Dr.  Ide  resigned  to  take  charge 
of  the  First  Baptist  Church  at  Springfield,  Mass. 

After  an  ineffectual  attempt  to  secure  William  T.  Brantly, 
Jr.,  the  son  of  the  former  beloved  pastor,  William  T. 
Brantly,  senior,  on  January  i,  1855,  the  Rev.  Dr.  James 
H.  Cuthbert  (Fig.  30),  of  Charleston,  was  called.  A  more 
gentle,  Christ-like,  lovable  man  never  occupied  our  pulpit. 
His  whole  ministry  is  redolent  of  faithful,  earnest,  pastoral 
work  which  brought  many  to  know  the  love  of  Christ. 

During  his  pastorate  a  call  was  made,  on  May  10,  1858, 
to  form  a  new  Association,  and  our  church  withdrew  from 
the  Central  Union  Association,  and  on  June  24,  1858,  with 
others  formed  the  North  Philadelphia  Association.  The 
delegates  from  our  church  were  Rev.  Dr.  Cuthbert,  Joseph 
Belcher,  B.  R.  Loxley,  Thomas  Larcombe,  Richard  Gar- 
diner, Thomas  Wattson,  S.  M.  Hopper,  and  Thomas  M. 
Davis.  This  new  Association  was  organized  on  account 
of  the  amount  of  contention  introduced  into  the  Central 
Union  Association  on"  subjects  not  calculated  to  improve 
spirituality  and  to  increase  the  love  of  its  members." 


io6  FIRST  BAPTIST  CUIRCH. 

This  referred  more  especially  to  the  subject  of  slavery, 
which  at  that  time  was  a  burning  issue  all  over  the  coun- 
try, and  as  Dr.  Cuthbert's  affiliations  and  sympathies  were 
very  largely  with  the  South,  and  Philadelphia  was  very 
near  to  Mason  and  Dixon's  line,  this  was  naturally  highly 
objectionable  to  him  and  to  many  other  members.  In  the 
stirring  days  preceding  the  Civil  War  it  was  thought  by 
many  that  it  was  a  mistake  to  introduce  such  semi-political 


Fig.  30.— Rev.  Ja.mes  Hazzard  Cuthkkri,  D.U. 

{FroDi  a  pliotogiaph  kindly  fin  uisJwd  by  his  daughter,  Mis.  Sophy  de  A.  Aspiiru-all, 

of  IVashiiigton,  D.  C] 

matters  into  a  religious  assembly,  and  many  sought  to  heal 
the  inevitable  breach  by  ignoring  it  as  far  as  was  possible. 
But  the  specter  would  not  down,  and  finally,  on  April  29, 
1861,  two  weeks  after  the  guns  of  Fort  Sumter  replied  to 
the  challenge  of  South  Carolina,  Dr.  Cuthbert  resigned  his 
charge.  The  church  requested  the  withdrawal  of  his  resig- 
nation on  May  7,  1861,  but  though  the  letter  reached 
him,  owing  to  the  war  no  reply  had  been  received  up  to 
September  ii,  1861,  and  the  resignation  was  accepted. 


BI-  CENTENNIA  L    CEL  EBKA  TION. 


107 


From  this  time  until  1864  we  had  no  settled  pastor,  but 
the  pulpit  was  supplied  by  the  Rev.  Benjamin  R.  Loxley 
and  others. 

On  February  26,  1864,  a  call  was  extended  to  the  Rev. 
George  Dana  Boardnian,  of  Rochester,  N.  Y.  (Fig.  31). 
This  call  was  unanimously  indorsed  by  the  congregation 


Fig.  31.— Rev.  George  Dana  Boardman,  D.D.,  LL.D. 


on  March  3,  1864.  Dr.  Boardman  accepted  the  call 
on  May  15,  1864,  and  entered  on  his  pastoral  duties 
on  October  2d  (the  longest  pastorate  m  the  history  of 
the  church).  He  found  the  church  with  481  members 
and  left  it,  in  spite  of  losses  by  the  organization  of  the 
South  Broad  Street  and  Narberth  Churches,  with  a 
membership    of  667.      I    trust    that    the    day    is    far    dis- 


lo8  FIRST  BAPl'ISl-   CHURCH. 

tant  when  a  suitable  eulogy  may  be  passed  upon  the  life 
work  of  Dr.  Boardman,  which,  as  Pastor,  extended  over  a 
period  of  thirty  years,  and  as  Honorary  Pastor  is  happily 
not  yet  finished;  but  a  few  facts  may  not  inappropriately 
be  stated  at  the  present  time. 

On  March  24,  1865,  soon  after  Dr.  Boardman  became 
our  pastor,  Mr.  Loxley,  who  had  been  for  thirty  years  con- 
tinuously in  the  service  of  the  church  as  assistant  minister, 
missionary,  and  deacon,  passed  away.  When  he  died,  one  of 
the  best  and  most  faithful  men  in  the  long  line  of  the  Loxley 
family,  whose  membership  covers  not  far  from  two  entire 
centuries,  was  called  to  his  reward.  His  place  was  not 
filled  during  the  remainder  of  Dr.  Boardman's  pastorate, 
except  for  a  short  time  in  1881  by  the  Rev.  Henry  Brom- 
ley, and  in  1882  by  the  Rev.  J.  E.  Sagebeer. 

In  1869  the  church  was  nearly  destroyed  by  fire. 

In  1870  Dr.  Boardman  was  granted  leave  of  absence 
for  a  year,  and  in  company  with  Dr.  E.  T.  Darby  visited 
the  Holy  Land,  the  desert  of  Sinai,  Asia  Minor,  etc.,  and 
replenished  his  already  well-stored  mind  with  exact  knowl- 
edge of  the  sacred  places  of  the  P^ast.  He  was  elected  a 
member  of  the  American  Philosophical  Society  in  recog- 
nition of  his  learning,  on  April  16,  1880. 

During  his  pastorate  four  different  missions  were  started, 
three  of  which  have  become  independent  churches.  On 
January  2,  1865,  the  Boardman  Mission,  at  Broad  and  Reed 
Streets,  was  accepted  as  a  Mission  School,  and  named  after 
our  honored  pastor.  It  met  first  at  the  Jackson  School- 
house,  southeast  corner  of  Twelfth  and  Federal  Streets, 
and  later  at  the  engine-house  at  the  the  corner  of  Eleventh 
and  Anita  Streets.  Its  success  is  due  chiefly  to  the  energy 
and  devotion  of  two  of  our  most  honored  members,  Stand- 
ish  F.  Hansen  and  George  W.  Allen.  The  Chapel  was 
dedicated  free  from  debt  November  28,  1869.  In  1870 
Rev.  Philip   L.  Jones  was  elected  pastor,  and  on   January 


BI-  CENTENNIAL    CELEBRA  TION. 


lOQ 


20,  1876,  one  hundred  members,  of  whom  ninety-three 
were  dismissed  from  our  church,  were  constituted  as  the 
South  Broad  Street  Baptist  Church.  In  1881,  chiefly 
through  the  liberahty  of  our  church  and  the  Baptist 
Church  Extension  Society,  the  property  was  conveyed  to 
them  free  of  all  encumbrance.  In  1886  they  erected  the 
church  building  (Fig.  32).      Dr.  Jones  resigned  in  January, 


Fig.  32. — Soi'TH  Broad  Stkeet  Baptist  Church. 


1889.     Since  then  they  have  had  an  uninterrupted  career 
of  prosperity  and  usefulness  as  a  Church  of  Christ. 

On  March  i,  1868,  the  Immanuel  Mission  was  estab- 
lished in  a  carpenter-shop  near  Twenty-third  and  Summer 
Streets.  The  first  superintendent  was  William  E.  Burke. 
On  his  resignation,  in  1870,  James  S.  Moore  succeeded  him, 
and  for  twenty-one  years  he  bore  a  burden,  personal,  finan- 
cial, and  educational,  that  would  have  weighed  down  less 
robust  shoulders.  In  1892,  after  Mr.  Moore's  death,  in 
September,    1891,   Samuel  J.    Clevenger  became    superin- 


no  FIRST  BAPTIST  CIII'RCII. 

tendeiit,  and  in  1896  Winfield  S.  l^lliott.  During  the  thirty 
years  of  its  existence  nearly  300  conversions  have  occurred, 
a  tribute  of  no  mean  order  to  the  zeal  and  faithfulness  of 
its  pastor  and  teachers. 

On  March  9,  187 1,  they  occupied  their  new  brick  build- 
ing at  the  corner  of  Twenty- third  and  Summer  Streets,  a 
building  now  totally  inadequate  to  their  pressing  needs 
(Fig.  33).     Their  pastors  have  been  : 

E.  D.  Staler,  1874. 

William  Entwistle,  January  i,  1875,  to  April  22,  1876. 
George  Croft,  May  i,  1877,  to  May  i,  1878. 
N.  C.  Fetter,  October  27,  1878,  to  Julv  31,  1879. 
Joseph  E.  Perry,  Aii,i2;ust  3,  1879,  to  March  26,  1881. 
Henry  Bromley,  April  i,  1881,  to  August  4,  1881. 
H.  F.  Stillwell,  August  1 1,  1881,  to  January  i,  1884. 
T.  R.  Hewlett,  November  i,  1884,  to  July  i,  1885. 
J.  E.  Sagebeer,  November  24,  1885,  to  Manh  28,  1890. 
Charles  A.  Soars,  May  27,  i8go,  to  June  28,  1891. 
R.  N.  West,  November  29,  1891,  to  June    19,1892. 
Thomas   A.   Lloyd    has    been   the    Pastor   since   November    i, 
1892  (Fig.  34). 

These  frequent  changes  are  to  be  explained  by  the  fact 
that  most  of  their  pastors  were  students  in  Crozer  Theo- 
logical Seminary.  That  the  Mission  has  had  such  success 
amid  such  constant  changes  is  no  less  remarkable  than 
gratifying. 

On  March  9,  1888,  the  Baltimore  Avenue  Mission,  which 
had  been  carried  on  almost  single-handed  for  eight  years 
by  the  Rev.  Dr.  H.  L.  Wayland,  was  accepted  as  a  Mission 
of  our  church.  I  can  not  avoid,  in  passing,  saying  a  word 
in  reference  to  the  great  loss  which  this  church  has  met 
with  in  the  recent  death  of  our  dear  Dr.  Wayland.  No 
member  of  the  church  was  more  beloved  than  he.  Though 
so  full  of  knowledge  and  so  willing  and  wise  in  the  expres- 
sion of  it,  no  man  ever  bore  in  his  heart  a  more  simple, 
childlike  spirit  as  a  Christian  than  Dr.  Wayland.  His 
life  is  at  once  an  example  and  a  benediction  for  us  all. 
That  so  really  great   a  man   should  devote  himself  to  this 


BI-CENTENNIAL    CELEBRATION.  iii 

self-sacrificing  life  among  the  poor  is  a  testimony  to  the 
humble  piety  which  was  so  dominant  throughout  his  life. 
The  Mission  began  in  the  hospitable  home  of  Mr.  A.J. 
Mosley,  an  esteemed  Methodist  layman,  who  was  its  first 
Superintendent.  It  was  continued  in  a  house  on  Baltimore 
Avenue  beyond   Fifty-second  Street,  w^hich   Dr.  Wayland 


Fig.  33. — The  Immanl'f.l  Mission. 
YFroin  a  photograph  kindly  furnished  by  iSlr.  Harry  J.  Moore  J\ 


himself  rented,  until  in  a  few  years,  through  the  efforts 
chiefly  of  Dr.  Wayland  and  other  members  of  the  First 
Church,  and  Rev.  James  French,  a  lot  at  Fifty-second  Street 
and  Baltimore  Avenue  was  purchased.  The  Chapel  was 
opened  December  27,  1883.  In  January,  1891,  Joseph 
A.  Bennett,  a  teacher  in  the  Immanuel  Mission,  and  a 
student  at  Crozer  Theological  Seminary,  became  the  Chapel 


112  1-IRST  BAPTIST  CIIUKCII. 

Pastor,  the   Mission  being  under  the  direction  of  the  First 
Church. 

They  grew  in  numbers  so  that  the  chapel  was  inadequate 
to  their  needs.  On  May  19,  1897,  Mr.  Bennett  and  sixty- 
seven  other  of  our  members  were  dismissed  by  our  church, 
and,  with  nine  others,  organized  the  "  Baltimore  Avenue 
Baptist  Church"  on  May  26,  1897.  In  the  following 
October  they  began   the   erection    of   their  beautiful  and 


Fig.  34.— Rkv.  Thomas  A.  Li.ovd. 


commodious  chapel,  which   was  opened  on  April   3,  1898 

(Fig-  35)- 

No  body  of  Christians   has    made   greater   sacrifices   or 

met  with   more   deserving    success.       Though   no    longer 

members   with    us,  they    are    borne    in    most   affectionate 

remembrance,  and  well  deserve  our  earnest  and  efficient 

assistance. 

In  the  autumn  of    1890  union  services  were   begun  at 


BI-CENTENNIAL    CELEBRATION.  113 

Narberth,then  Elm  Station,  on  the  Pennsylvania  Railroad, 
seven  miles  from  Philadelphia.  May  18,  1 891,  a  prelimin- 
ary meeting  was  held  at  the  house  of  Mr.  Thomas  C. 
Trotter,  and  on  May  25,  1891,  the  Mission  was  finally  or- 
ganized and  the  First  Church  was  requested  to  accept  the 
Mission.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Harry  S.  Hopper,  of  our  church, 
but  residing  in  Narberth,had  taken  an  active  part  in  its  or- 
ganization from  the  first.  Our  church  accepted  the  Mis- 
sion on  June  26,  1891.     A  lot  at  the  corner  of  Elmwood 


Fig.  35.— Baltimore  Avknl'p:  Baptist  Church. 


and  Narberth  Avenues  was  purchased,  and  the  temporary 
building  was  opened  June  28,  1891,  Dr.  Boardman  preach- 
ing the  sermon.  The  basement  of  the  new  building  was 
occupied  on  the  first  Sunday  in  1892,  and  the  house 
formally  opened  April  14,  1892  (Fig.  36). 

November  17,  1892,  a  formal  call  was  extended  to  Rev. 
Harold  Kennedy,  and  he  entered  upon  his  pastorate 
December  i,  1892. 

October  13,  1893,  the  Mission  took  the  first  steps  to  be- 


114 


FIRST  BAP'JISl'  CHURCH. 


come  an  independent  church,  and  on  November  3,  1893, 
eighteen  members  were  dismissed  from  the  First  Church, 
who  met  with  others  from  six  other  churches,  and  on  No- 
vember 14,  1893,  organized  as  the  Church  of  the  Evangel, 
and  was  recognized  by  a  Council  on  November  28,  1893. 
Since  its  organization  it  has  been  noted  for  its  active 
interest  and  participation  in  missionary  and  educational 
enterprises,  and  it  bids  fair  to  become  one  of  the  strong 
suburban  churches. 


FiC.  36. — Cm  RCH  OK  THE  EvANGEL,  XaRBKRTH. 


But  the  most  striking  feature  of  Dr.  Boardman's  ministry 
has  been  not  so  much  the  in-gathering  of  converts  as  the 
up-building  of  the  church  in  knowledge,  faith,  and  life. 
Beginning  with  October  5,  1864,  and  ending  with  Decem- 
ber 29,  1889,  thus  covering  more  than  twenty-five  years, 
in  his  Wednesday  evening  lectures  Dr.  Boardman  has 
made  an  exposition  of  every  verse  of  the  entire  Bible,  from 
Genesis  to  Revelation.  When  it  is  remembered  in  addi- 
tion to  this  that,  in  1878,  for  fourteen  consecutive  weeks 
he    delivered    in    Association    Hall,    which    was    crowded 


BI-CENTENXIAL    CELEBRATIOX.  115 

with  hearers,  a  course  of  free  lectures  on  the  "  Creative 
Week,"   and    in    1880   another  course   on   the   "Mountain 
Instruction"    (both   of   which    have    been    pubhshed),  and 
that    he    has   pubhshed,  in  addition,  his   "  Studies  on  the 
Model   Prayer,"  twelve  "  University   Lectures  on  the  Ten 
Commandments,"  a  course  on  the  "  Minor  Prophets,"  and 
an    elaborate   study    entitled    "The    Kingdom,"    and    150 
other  books,  sermons,  addresses,   lectures,  and  papers,  it 
will  be  seen  what  a  fertile  mind  he  has  and  how  much  he 
has  done  toward  the  development  of  Baptist  literature.    His 
"  Problem  of  Jesus  "  has  gone  through  five  editions.    His 
call  for  the  disarmament  of  nations  was   issued  in    1890, 
eight  years  before  that  of  the  Czar.    It  is  no  wonder  that  he 
has  been  sought,  not  only  by  his  fellow-citizens,  but  also  by 
many  universities  throughout  the  land,  both   as  an   occa- 
sional preacher  and  as  a  regular  lecturer.     Nor  is  it  any 
wonder  that  he,  the  son  of  sainted  Baptist  missionaries,  and 
the  stepson  of  the  very  first  American  Baptist  missionary, 
should  have  been  four  times  elected  President  of  the  Mis- 
sionary Union,  the  highest  honor  in  the  gift  of  the  Baptist 
Church.     While  he  published  a  number  of  papers  during 
his   entire   ministry,  yet  his  chief  activity  has  been   from 
1869  to  the  present  time.     Not  a  single  year  has  passed  in 
all  that  time  without  one  or  more  books  and  numberless 
individual  articles  being  issued.     Well  did  he  deserve  his 
degree  of  LL.  D.  from  the  University  of  Pennsylvania  in  1 889. 
In  addition  to  this  he  has  been   honored  in  many  other 
directions,  as  President  of  the  New  England  Society;  Chap- 
lain and  Trustee  of  the  University  of  Pennsylvania;  Presi- 
dent  of    the    Christian    Arbitration    and     Peace    Society; 
Delegate  to  the  Conference  of  the  Evangelical  Alliance,  at 
Florence,  Italy,  in    1891;   Delegate  to   the  World's    First 
Missionary  Congress,    London ;  etc.     His    paper,   entitled 
"  Christ  the  Unifier  of  Mankind,"  made  a  fitting  close  of 
the  Parliament  of  Religions  during  the  Columbian  World's 
Fair  in  Chicasfo. 


Ii6  FIRST  BAPTIST  CHURCH. 

On  January  26,  1894,  Dr.  Boardman  resigned  the  pas- 
torate of  our  church,  to  take  effect  May  I5th\  On  Feb- 
ruary 23d  he  was  elected  permanent  Honorary  Pastor,  and 
on  May  2d  is  recorded  a  Minute,  of  which  any  one  might 
well  be  proud,  expressing  our  sorrow  at  his  resignation  and 
our  appreciation  of  him  as  a  man,  a  Christian,  and  a  pastor. 

"Minute   on   the    Resignation  of 
Rev.  George  Dana  Boardman,  D.D.,  LL.D. 

"  During  his  extended  pastorate  of  thirty  years  we  have 
learned  to  honor  Dr.  Boardman  for  his  untiring  industry, 
for  his  fidelity  to  his  convictions,  for  his  purity  of  life  and 
character,  for  his  large  generosity,  for  his  courtesy  and 
sweetness  of  spirit,  for  his  magnanimity,  as  well  as  for  the 
eminent  ability,  the  abundant  learning,  and  the  eloquent 
speech  which  have  made  him  known  far  beyond  the  bounds 
of  the  Church,  and  of  our  denomination,  and  of  the  nation. 

"  As  an  expositor  of  the  Scriptures  he  has  been  conscien- 
tious, independent,  suggestive.  The  great  feature  of  Dr. 
Boardman's  pastorate  with  this,  our  Church,  has  been  his 
extended  series  of  expository  lectures,  traversing  the  whole 
of  the  Scriptures.  His  course  on  the  New  Testament,  be- 
ginning October  5,  1864,  continued  until  April  6,  1882.  The 
lectures  on  the  Old  Testament  immediately  followed,  clos- 
ing December  29,  1889. 

"  The  288  expositions  of  the  Old  Testament,  with  643  of 
the  New  Testament,  including  the  treatment  of  every 
chapter  and  every  verse,  amounted  in  all  to  931  lectures, 
averaging  fifty  minutes  in  length,  given  usually  on  Wed- 
nesday evening,  being  in  addition  to  the  ordinary  prepara- 
tion for  the  Sabbath. 

"  If  stenographically  reported,  these  lectures  would  make 
si.xty-four  duodecimo  volumes  of  350  pages  each  [or  22,400 
printed  pages]. 

"  We  believe  that  this  achievement  of  continuous  labor 
devoted  to  the  exposition  of  the  Bible  is  without  parallel 
in  the  history  of  the  modern  pulpit.  The  lectures  consti- 
tute Dr.  Boardman's  sufficient  and  fitting  monument,  on 
which  may  well  be  inscribed  his  own  truthful  but  too 
modest  words,  '  He  tried  to  unfold  the  Word  of  God.' 

"  We  have  listened  to   his   preaching  with    delight  and 


BI-CENTENNIAL    CELEBRATION.  117 

instruction,  and  have  carried  away  lessons  which  we  shall 
always  remember  and  cherish.  His  broad  sympathies,  his 
enlightened  Christian  philanthropy,  have  made  him  the 
champion  of  Missions  at  home  and  abroad. 

"  He  received  in  the  year  1880,  while  at  home,  the  high- 
est honor  in  the  gift  of  the  Baptist  denomination,  the  Presi- 
dency of  the  Baptist  Missionary  Union,  which  he  held  for 
over  four  years.  He  has  been  the  constant  advocate  of  uni- 
versal peace  and  unity,  and  of  every  movement  for  the  glory 
of  God  and  the  good  of  mankind.  We  shall  retain  as  long 
as  memory  lasts  the  recollection  of  the  instructions  of  the 
preacher,  of  the  kind  offices  of  the  friend,  of  the  example  of 
the  man  and  the  Christian.  In  addition  to  these  abundant 
labors  in  the  immediate  sphere  of  his  pastorate,  he  has 
given  copiously  to  the  community  the  result  of  his  studies. 

"  His  series  of  fourteen  free  noon-day  lectures,  delivered 
in  as  many  successive  weeks  in  1878,  upon  the  'Creative 
Week,'  to  audiences  more  than  filling  the  spacious  Asso- 
ciation Hall,  recall  the  celebrated  series  of  astronomical 
discourses  given  by  Dr.  Chalmers  on  week-days  in  Glasgow. 

"A  second  similar  course  of  lectures,  twelve  in  number, 
was  given  in  1880,  entitled  'Studies  in  the  Mountain 
Instruction.' 

"During  the  fall  and  winter  of  1888-89,  ^^  gave  a 
course  of  twelve  lectures  on  Sunday  afternoons  at  the  Uni- 
versity of  Pennsylvania  upon  the  '  Ten  Commandments.'  In 
1890  he  gave  a  similar  course  on  Sunday  afternoons  at  the 
University  upon  the  '  Minor  Prophets,'  bearing  especially 
upon  their  ethical  teachings.  In  1890,  as  President  of  the 
'  Christian  Arbitration  and  Peace  Society,'  he  delivered  at 
Washington  an  address  on  '  The  Disarmament  of  Nations.' 

"In  1 89 1  as  a  delegate  to  the  Evangelical  Alliance, 
meeting  in  Florence,  Italy,  he  read  a  paper  on  '  The 
Coming  Ideal  Church.'  In  1892  he  gave  a  series  of  ad- 
dresses to  the  students  in  Philadelphia  attending  upon  the 
various  schools  of  literature,  science,  technolog-y,  business, 
art,  law,  medicme,  and  theology.  In  1893,  during  the  Peace 
Congress  in  Chicago,  he  gave  an  address  upon  '  Nation- 
alism and  Internationalism.' 

"  Later  in  the  same  year  there  was  given  him  the  honor 
of   pronouncing    the    closing    address  of  the    memorable 


Ii8  FIRST  BArriST  CHURCH. 

Parliament  of  Religions,  upon  '  Christ,  the  Unifier  of  Man- 
kind,' 

"Three  of  these  courses  of  lectures  have  formed  the 
material  of  three  volumes  of  permanent  value,  in  addition 
to  which  he  has  issued  '  The  Model  Prayer,'  '  PLpiphanies 
of  the  Risen  Lord,'  and  '  The  Divine  Man.' 

"  His  discourse  on  '  The  Problem  of  Jesus  '  presents  the 
rich  fruitage  of  a  long-continued  and  professional  study, 
and  is  a  most  devout  impression  and  loving  tribute  to  our 
risen  Lord. 

"  He  has  also  given  a  great  number  of  occasional  dis- 
courses called  out  by  memorable  events  or  eras  in  history, 
as  his  addresses  upon  Lincoln,  Garfield,  William  Penn, 
Luther,  and  Columbus,  and  his  patriotic  address  on  the 
'  Reestablishment  of  the  National  Flag'  (April  14,  1865), 
delivered  on  the  same  day  and  hour  simultaneously 
with  the  occurrence  of  this  notable  event.  He  has  pro- 
nounced discourses  before  many  of  the  Universities,  Semi- 
naries, and  learned  Societies  of  the  Country.  Few  men 
have  so  largely  contributed  to  the  sound,  progressive,  in- 
tellectual, moral,  and  religious  thought  of  the  world. 

"  The  Church  having  already  by  formal  vote  conferred 
upon  Dr.  Boardman  the  title  of  Honorary  Pastor,  carrying 
with  it  no  duty  or  obligation,  and  leaving  him  fully  master 
of  his  time,  and  having  also  provided  for  a  pecuniary  ex- 
pression of  affection  and  gratitude,  it  does  not  come  within 
our  province  to  make  further  suggestions  on  these  points. 

"  We  however  recommend  that  the  Church  assign  to 
Dr.  and  Mrs.  Boardman  for  the  remainder  of  their  lives  the 
free  use  of  a  pew.  to  be  selected  by  themselves. 

"  We  beg  Dr.  Boardman  to  be  assured  of  our  lifelong 
affection  and  our  prayers,  as  we  also  ask  that  he  will 
remember  in  his  supplications  the  Church  to  which  his 
eminent  powers  have  been  devoted  for  so  large  a  portion  of 
his  life,  during  which  he  has  seen  almost  an  entire  genera- 
tion pass  from  among  us  and  another  generation  rise  to 
take  the  place  of  the  fathers. 

"  Resolved,  That  this  minute  be  entered  in  full  upon  the 
Church  Records,  and  an  engrossed  copy  be  prepared  for 
presentation  to  Dr.  Boardman  and  copies  printed  for  dis- 
tribution among  our  Church  members." 


BI- CENTENNIA L    CELEB R A  7 'ION.  1 1 9 

The  influence  of  the  church  during  Dr.  Boardman's  long 
pastorate  was  felt  in  many  important  enterprises  collateral 
to  the  work  of  the  church  itself,  but  all  embodiments  of 
that  Christian  philanthropy  which  he  has  so  deeply  im- 
pressed upon  our  minds.  I  may  name  the  following  as 
among  the  most  important: 

The  Baptist  Home. — While  the  first  proposal  for  a 
Home  for  Aged  Baptists  of  slender  means  was  made  by 
Rev.  Dr.  Kennard  in  1865,  and  resulted,  some  years  later, 
in  obtaining  a  charter  for  the  "  Baptist  Home,"  yet  our 
church  has  had  an  efficient  part  in  its  establishment  and 
prosperity. 

The  first  meeting  of  the  Board  of  Lady  Managers  was 
held  in  our  church,  December  8,  1869,  and  in  1873  the  fine 
lot  at  Seventeenth  and  Norris  Streets,  now  valued  at  about 
;$30,ooo,  was  presented  to  the  Home  by  one  of  our  Deacons, 
Joseph  F.  Page. 

Its  beautiful,  helpful  work  toward  the  end  of  life,  as  the 
Orphanage  helps  others  at  its  beginning,  is  beyond  all  praise. 

The  Baptist  Orphanage. — In  187-  Miss  Mary  Weath- 
erly,  a  member  of  our  Church  and  a  teacher  in  the  Im- 
manuel  Infant  School,  received  the  following  note,  without 
either  date  or  signature  : 

'"Dear  Miss  WcatJierly :  The  little  coins  contained  in 
this  paper  are  the  childish  treasures  of  one  who  was  a 
pupil  in  the  infant  school  under  your  care,  but  who  is 
now,  we  believe,  gone  to  be  with  the  Lord.  The  objects 
of  especial  and  dearest  interest  to  this  child  were  poor, 
homeless  children,  and  though  of  little  commercial  value, 
they  are  given  for  that  purpose,  and  may  the  Lord  of  little 
children  bless  them  in  your  hands." 

The  coins  w^ere  two  quarters  of  a  dollar,  one  dime,  four 
half  dimes,  three  three-cent  pieces,  and  one  cent — in  all, 
ninety  cents.  The  recipient  of  this  little  legacy  felt  that 
she  had  committed  to   her   a  sacred  trust,  which  she  was 


I20  FIRST   BAPTIST  CHURCH. 

bound  to  employ  so  as  to  pcriiiauciitly  bcucfit  the  "  objects 
of  especial  and  dearest  interest  "  to  the  child  in  heaven. 
The  Managers  of  the  Baptist  Home,  though  then  (1874) 
engaged  in  an  effort  to  extinguish  their  debt,  encouraged 
Miss  Weatherly  in  her  project.  By  October,  1875,  she 
had  raised  ^268.  Soon  after  this  she  was  taken  very  ill, 
and  feeling  that  her  life  was  drawing  to  a  close,  she  com- 
mitted to  James  S.  Moore,  the  Superintendent  of  the 
Immanuel  Mission,  the  note,  the  original  coins,  and  the 
money  she  had  gathered,  and  on  October  7,  1876,  she 
joined  in  Paradise  the  little  giver  of  the  Fund  which 
started  the  Baptist  Orphanage.  Two  days  before  her 
death  the  Philadelphia  and  the  North  Philadelphia  Asso- 
ciations had  cheered  her  heart  by  appointing  committees 
to  establish  the  Baptist  Orphanage.  Soon  afterward  a 
charter  was  obtained,  and  the  Orphanage  became  a  fact. 

Go  to  Angora  and  see  the  result.  Like  a  pure  little 
spring  bubbling  out  of  the  earth,  which  grows  into  a  brook, 
and  finally  becomes  a  mighty  river,  these  few  coins  have 
grown  into  a  blessed  and  magnificent  charity,  whose  influ- 
ence will  continue  for  all  time. 

The  Philadelphia  Home  for  Incurables. — Another 
philanthropic  work  in  which  the  First  Baptist  Church  has 
had  a  large  part  and  an  active  interest  is  the  Philadelphia 
Home  for  Incurables. 

It  had  its  birth  in  the  heart  of  a  young  invalid.  Miss 
Annie  C.  Inglis,  who  was  a  faithful  attendant  on  the  ser- 
vices of  this  church  during  the  years  1873  to  1875,  and  its 
treasury  consisted  at  first  of  one  single  little  gold  dollar 
which  she  had  given.  The  organization  was  effected  by  a 
few  ladies.  Of  the  number,  nine  were  Baptists  ;  four,  mem- 
bers of  this  church. 

In  addition  to  this,  the  Annie  C.  Inglis  Memorial  Band 
was  formed  in  our  Pastor's  Study  in  1877.  It  consisted  in 
the  beginning  of  the  members  of  the  l^ible  Class  taught  by 


BI-CENTENNIAL    CELEBRATION.  121 

Miss  Carrie  T.  Bancroft,  who  became  the  first  President  of 
the  Band.  They  composed  the  first  Auxihary  to  the  main 
Board ;  have  continued  in  the  most  active  service  in  the 
work;  and  are  to-day  its  most  efficient  helpers. 

The  first  Annual  Report  of  the  Treasurer  of  the  Band,  in 
1877,  reported  $382.24,  but  the  work  so  grew  and  prospered 
that  the  Report  for  1 897  shows  a  total  of  $4546.50  raised  for 
this  worthy  object.  Generous  donations  of  food,  clothing, 
etc.,  have  been  constantly  sent  to  the  Home  ;  weekly  visits 
have  been  made  ever  since  its  organization,  and  frequent 
entertainments  have  been  provided  for  the  inmates. 

The  members  of  the  Band  were  the  founders  of  the  Chil- 
dren's Building,  and  since  its  occupancy  have  been  its  main 
support. 

While  the  Home  maintains  its  undenominational  char- 
acter, yet  the  old  First  Church  will  ever  stand  as  a  mother 
to  the  auxiliary  work  of  the  Home,  and  also  to  the  Board 
of  the  Home  itself.  All  of  the  annual  meetings  of  the  Band 
were  held  in  the  church  until  the  Children's  House  became 
its  special  care.  Rev.  Dr.  George  Dana  Boardman,  our 
pastor,  when  in  this  country,  has  taken  part  in  the  service 
of  each  annual  meeting,  and  one  of  our  Deacons  has  been 
deeply  interested  in  the  work,  and  was  the  earliest  medical 
friend  of  the  Home. 

The  Young  People's  Baptist  Union. — On  June  7,  1882, 
the  Young  People's  Baptist  Union  was  organized  in  our 
church.  Excepting  that  in  Brooklyn,  it  is  the  oldest  Union 
in  the  United  States.  The  initiative  was  taken  by  the  Young 
People's  Working  Association  of  our  church,  and  among 
its  most  faithful  friends  from  our  church  have  been  Dr.  G. 
Byron  Morse,  Mr.  George  L.  English,  and  Dr.  H.  B.  Martin. 

Their  work  consists  in  public  discussions  of  various 
phases  of  young  people's  work,  including  Working  Men's 
Clubs,  Temperance  and  Missions  ;  and  devotional  meetings, 
especially  in  weaker  churches  and  Missions.     The  whole 


122  FIRST  BAPTIST  CJJUKCII. 

city  has  been  districted,  and  thus  the  work  has  been  thor- 
oughly done.  A  knowledge  of  Baptist  principles  has  been 
diffused  among  its  members.  For  two  years  a  monthly 
paper  was  published  and  distributed  gratuitously.  Its 
motto  is,  "  To  encourage  organized  religious  activity  "  ;  and 
none  better  could  be  chosen. 

The  Women's  National  Indian  Association. — Another 
work  whose  beginning  had  a  vital  connection  with  our 
own  church  work  was  that  now  known  as  "  The  Women's 
National  Indian  Association."  The  President  of  our  Home 
Mission  Circle,  Miss  Mary  L.  Bonney  (afterward  Mrs. 
Thomas  Rambaut),  in  the  spring  of  1879  became  deeply 
interested  in  the  wrongs  of  the  Indians,  and  brought  the 
facts  to  the  notice  of  the  Circle.  Its  members  shared  her 
interest,  and  a  popular  petition  was  prepared  to  be  pre- 
sented at  a  Baptist  Anniversary,  but  pressure  of  business 
prevented  its  consideration.  A  month  later,  however,  after 
our  Home  Mission  Circle  had  adjourned  for  the  summer, 
another  member  of  our  church,  Mrs.  Amelia  S.  Quinton, 
took  up  the  Indian  work,  Miss  Bonney  providing  wholly 
for  its  expenses  at  first,  and  largely  for  years  afterward. 
During  two  years  of  this  joint  work  the  members  of  our 
Home  Mission  Circle,  with  many  others  in  Philadelphia  and 
in  other  cities,  personally  aided  in  circulating  the  petitions 
and  literature  prepared  by  Mrs.  Quinton  ;  and  though  the 
movement  had  already  become  an  interdenominational  one, 
the  first  Committee  of  Four  to  aid  the  movement  originated 
by  Miss  Bonney  was  composed  of  two  of  our  own  mem- 
bers, Mrs.  George  Dana  Boardman  and  Mrs.  Marine  J. 
Chase,  and  two  others.  The  work  went  forward.  Miss 
Bonney  was  the  first  President  of  the  Association  ;  Mrs. 
Boardman  was  its  first  Treasurer,  and  Mrs.  Quinton  the 
General  Secretary  and  Organizer  for  the  first  eight  years. 
Mrs.  Quinton  was  made  President  of  the  Association  in 
1887,  and  still  holds  that  office. 


BI-CENTENIVIAL    CELEBRATION.  123 

The  movement  thus  originated  in  our  Home  Missionary- 
Circle  in  1879,  at  the  close  of  1881  had  grown  into  a 
National  Society,  having,  soon  after  that  date,  twenty  State 
Auxiliaries,  and  since  then  members  and  workers  in  forty 
States  and  Territories  of  the  Union.  It  has  established 
missionary  and  industrial  work  at  forty-six  stations  among 
wild  Indian  tribes  ;  has  done  a  wide  work  for  Indian  home- 
building;  has  given,  in  whole  or  in  part,  a  professional 
education  to  various  capable  Indians  ;  and  has  several  other 
departments  of  efficient  work  for  the  civilization  and  Chris- 
tianization  of  our  native  tribes.  This  Association  began 
the  modern  popular  appeal  which  in  1887  opened  to  all 
United  States  Indians  land  in  severalt}',  the  protection  of 
the  common  law,  and  the  acquisition  of  citizenship  and  of 
a  common  school  education.  Of  this  Society  Senator 
Dawes  said  that  the  new  Indian  policy  of  to-day,  every- 
where approved  of,  "  was  born  of,  and  nursed  by,  the  women 
of  this  Association";  and  all  the  features  of  that  policy, 
which  has  already  given  us  35,000  tax-paying  Indian  citi- 
zens, are  seen  in  the  early  petitions  of  the  Women's 
National  Indian  Association. 

This  latest  and  most  successful  effort  for  the  Indians  is 
but  the  continuation  of  a  vote  fourscore  years  ago.  On 
January  20,  18 19,  I  find  that  the  Church  sent  the  following 
Memorial  to  Congress: 

MEMORIAL. 

From  the  First  PjAI'tist  Church  and  Congregation    in  the  City 
OF  Philadelphia. 

To  tJic  Honorable  tJie  Senate  and  House  of  Representatives 
of  the  United  States  in  Congress  assembled :  Your  Memo- 
rialists being  very  sensibly  affected  with  the  deplorable 
condition  of  the  various  Savage  tribes  within  the  limits  of 
the  United  States,  feeling  an  ardent  desire  to  see  them 
civilized  and  instructed  in  the  English  language,  and  find- 
ing that  there  are  many  and  great  impediments  which   lie 


124  FIRST  BAPTIST  CHURCH. 

in  the  way  of  the  accomplishment  of  these  desirable 
objects,  have  been  induced  to  present  a  petition  to  your 
honorable  body,  respectfully  praying  for  the  adoption  of 
such  regulations  respecting  the  Indians  as  shall  appear 
best  calculated  to  promote  their  welfare  and  civilization, 
and  give  them  confidence  in   our  government  and  citizens. 

Your  memorialists  beg  leave  in  a  particular  manner  to 
call  the  attention  of  Congress  to  the  case  of  the  Indian 
traders.  They  are,  generally  speaking,  men  who  have  no 
object  but  gain,  and  being  at  a  distance  from  the  restraints 
of  civilized  life,  give  full  scope  to  their  corrupt  propensities 
for  gratifying  these,  they  defraud  the  Indians  of  their 
property,  corrupt  even  their  morals,  consequently  increase 
the  miseries  of  those  people,  prejudice  their  minds  against 
our  government,  citizens,  and  manners,  and  lead  them  to 
the  most  contemptible  ideas  of  civilization  and  religion. 
Your  memorialists  therefore  respectfully  request,  that 
Congress  would  establish  such  regulations,  as  they  may 
deem  best  calculated  to  secure  to  the  Indians  a  supply  of 
such  articles  as  they  need,  by  fair  and  honorable  trade, 
and  effectually  to  prevent  the  continuance  of  this  base  and 
corrupt  intercourse.  Your  petitioners  further  pray,  that 
Congress  would  make  such  further  provisions  and  appro- 
priations for  educating  the  Indians,  and  instructing  them 
in  the  arts  of  civilized  life,  as  the  importance  of  the  case 
demands. 

Your  memorialists  humbly  conceive,  that  in  presenting 
this  petition  to  Congress,  they  ask  for  what  will  tend 
ultimately  to  promote  the  interest,  as  well  as  the  honour  of 
our  Country,  and  for  what  will  have  a  more  beneficial 
effect  than  forts  and  Armies,  on  the  security  and  welfare 
of  the  frontier  settlements.  Influenced  by  the  motto 
"  Peace  on  earth  and  good  will  to  men,"  one  of  the  warm- 
est desires  of  our  hearts,  and  fervent  prayer  to  GOD  is. 
that  he  may  bless  you,  as  individuals  and  as  a  body,  and 
direct  all  your  measures  to  the  promotion  of  the  peace  and 
prosperity  of  our  beloved  country. 

Signed  by  order  and  in  behalf  of  the  whole  Church  and 
Congregation,  consisting  of  1500  citizens. 

,c  s    Henry  Holcombe,  Moderator. 

(S'GNEO)   ^^^^  McLeod,  Clerk. 


BI-CENTENNIAL    CELEBRATION.  125 

Consolidation  with  Beth  Eden. — The  relations  be- 
tween the  First  Church  and  the  Beth  Eden  Church  have 
always  been  those  of  a  deh'ghtful  comity.  In  1873,  during 
our  own  extensive  alterations  at  Broad  and  Arch  Streets,  the 
Beth  Eden  Church  invited  us  to  occupy  their  house  while 
deprived  of  our  own;  and  on  January  31,  1881,  when  the 
Beth  Eden  Church  was  burned,  the  hospitality  of  our  church 
was  offered  to  them  in  turn  while  they  were  without  a  home. 

Owing  to  the  fact  that  both  of  these  churches,  as  well 
as  the  Tabernacle  Baptist  Church,  at  Eighteenth  and  Chest- 
nut Streets,  were  central  in  location,  all  three  began  to  feel 
the  disintegration  which  always,  in  time,  attacks  a  central 
city  church.  The  members  move  into  the  suburbs,  busi- 
ness encroaches  on  the  resident  area  around  it,  and  so,  by 
an  inexorable  law  of  city  development,  all  three  churches 
were  waning  from  a  gradual  but  steady  loss  of  membership. 

About  January,  1894,  Dr.  Boardman,  when  Chaplain  of 
the  University  of  Pennsylvania,  invited  the  Rev.  Dr.  J.  T. 
Beckley,  Pastor  of  Beth  Eden,  and  the  Rev.  Dr.  George  E. 
Rees,  Pastor  of  the  Tabernacle,  to  meet  him  confidentially 
at  the  Chaplain's  office  of  the  University  of  Pennsylvania, 
where  he  proposed  a  consolidation  of  these  three  central 
churches.  The  later  steps  leading  to  the  consolidation  are 
fully  set  forth  by  Mr.  Hagen  in  his  "  History  of  the  Beth 
Eden  Church  "  {i.<idc  infra).  At  last,  after  many  conferences, 
on  January  25,  1895,  the  consolidation  of  Beth  Eden  with 
the  First  Church  was  agreed  to  by  both  churches,  and  was 
finally  accomplished  legally  on  April  13,  1895.  At  the  first 
meeting  after  the  consolidation,  Mr.  Briggs  was  elected 
temporary  pastor,  and  the  following  persons  were  selected  to 
represent  the  First  Church  in  the  new  Board  of  Trustees — 
viz.:  Wm.  H.  Ford,  M.D.,  W.  A.  Levering,  T.  Seymour 
Scott,  Matthew  Semple,  B.  Ogden  Loxley,  Ernest  L.  Tus- 
tin,  Howard  B.  Martin,  M.D.,  and  W.  W.  Keen,  M.D.  The 
membership  of  the  church  alter  consolidation  was  835. 


126  FIRST  B.irris'r  cjilkcji. 

The  First  Church,  naturally,  for  years  had  yearned  for 
membership  in  the  old  Philadelphia  Association,  which  had 
originated  within  her  walls  one  hundred  and  eighty-nine 
years  before.  Every  person  who  had  had  a  part  in  the 
old  controversies  was  dead  and  gone,  and  we  wished  no 
longer  to  perpetuate  the  estrangement  wliich  had  existed 
between  the  Association  and  our  church  since  1816.  Ac- 
cordingly, on  June  7,  1895,  we  withdrew  from  the  North 
Philadelphia  Association,  and  reunited  with  the  Philadel- 
phia Association  in  the  following  October.  Upon  this 
occasion  the  Association  passed  the  following  vote  : 

"  Whereas,  The  records  of  our  Association  show  that 
in  the  year  1827  a  company  of  brethren  and  sisters  under 
the  name  of  the  First  Baptist  Church  of  Philadelphia  was 
received  into  our  fellowship,  And  Whereas, 

"This  Church  remained  in  the  list  of  the  Churches 
under  the  said  title  until  the  year  1834  when  it  was  desig- 
nated as  the  Spruce  Street  Baptist  Church,  which  name  it 
has  retained  until  the  present  time,  Therefore  Resolved 

"  That  in  receiving  the  body  now  applying  for  admission 
into  our  fellowship  under  the  name  of  the  '  First  Baptist 
Church  of  Philadelphia  '  we  disclaim  all  intention  of  re- 
versing any  decisions  that  may  have  found  place  on  our 
minutes  or  of  pronouncing  judgment  upon  the  history 
therein  recorded." 

I  can  not  but  regret  the  Resolutions,  for  I  know  well 
the  warmth  and  heartiness  of  the  feelings  of  this  venerable 
church  in  desiring  to  reunite  with  the  Philadelphia  Asso- 
ciation. We  felt  that  we  belonged  in  the  old  home,  and 
that  the  Association  was  our  child.  All  those  who  had 
taken  part  in  the  heated  discussions  of  three-quarters  of  a 
century  ago  had  passed  away,  and  we,  their  children  and 
grandchildren,  and  others,  were  all  strangers  to  the  dispute, 
and  would  be  glad  to  have  it  buried  along  with  the  dis- 
putants. Even  now  we  know  nothing  but  love  for  the 
most  ancient  and  most  vigorous  Association   in   America, 


BI-CENTENNIAL    CELEBRA  TlOiV. 


127 


to  which  the  Baptists  owe  a  debt  of  gratitude  which  can 
never  be  repaid. 

On  November  15,  i<S95,  a  call  was  extended  to  the  Rev. 
Kerr  Boyce  Tapper  (Fig.  37),  then  pastor  of  the  First  Bap- 


FiG.  37. — Rkv.  Kkrr  Boyce  TuppiiR,  D.D.,  LL.U. 


tist  Church  in  Denver;  and  on  January  10,  1896,  he  ac- 
cepted the  call,  Mr.  Briggs  being  elected  assistant  pastor. 
On  November  6, 1896,  Mr.  Briggs  resigned  to  assume  charge 


128  FjJisi'  BAPTisr  cnuRcn. 

of  the  Second  Baptist  Church  in  Wihiiington,  and  carried 
with  him  the  hearty  good  wishes  of  both  the  churches, 
now  happily  united  into  one. 

Dr.  Tupper  was  born  in  Washington,  Georgia,  February 
2,  1854,  and  is  therefore  in  the  prime  of  life,  and  at  the 
beginning  of  his  best  work. 

It  is  interesting  to  observe  the  numerous  ties  connecting 
Dr.  Tupper  with  this  church,  and  especially  with  two  of 
its  pastors — ties  wliich  were  wholly  unknown  to  us  when  he 
was  called.  His  motiier  was  baptized  by  Dr.  William  T. 
Brantly,  Sr.,  and  Dr.  Brantly  for  seven  years  (1837-44) 
was  the  pastor  of  his  father.^ 

He  graduated  from  Mercer  University,  Georgia,  under 
the  Presidency  of  Rev.  Henry  Holcombe  Tucker,  D.D., 
a  nephew  of  Rev.  Dr.  Henry  Holcombe.  When  he  re- 
ceived a  medal  for  oratory  in  College,  it  was  delivered 
to  him  by  Rev.  W.  T.  Brantly,  Jr.,  D.D.  During  the 
four  years  of  his  college  course  in  Mercer  University,  one 
of  his  professors  was  Rev.  J.  J.  Brantly,  D.D.,  another  son 
of  William  T.  Brantly,  Sr.  Two  of  his  college  classmates 
were  grandsons  of  William  T.  Brantly,  Sr.  The  church 
from  which  he  was  called  in  Denver  was  founded  by  one 
of  my  own  classmates  in  Brown  University — Walter 
McDuffie  Potter. 

As  with  our  honored  and  honorary  pastor,  the  time  is 
happily  far  distant,  we  hope,  when  Dr.  Tupper's  labors 
can  be  fittingly  described  and  his  eulogy  be  pronounced. 
But  a  few  facts  may  properly  be  stated  even  in  his 
presence. 

He  graduated  at  Mercer  University,  Georgia,  at  seven- 
teen, after  which  he  took  his  theological  course  in  the 
Southern  Theological  Seminary.  Before  coming  to  us  he 
had  served  as  pastor  at  Charlottesville,  Virginia ;  Paducah, 
Kentucky;    Grand   Rapids,  Michigan  ;  and   Denver,  Colo- 

'  I)i.   11.  A.  Tupper,  Professor  in  Richmond  College. 


BI-CENTENNIAL    CELEBRATION.  129 

rado.  His  well-earned  degree  of  D.D.  was  conferred  upon 
him  in  1886  by  the  Central  University  of  Iowa,  and  his 
Alma  Mater  gave  him  the  LL.D.  in  1897. 

His  coming  to  our  recently  consolidated  Church  was  an 
event  of  the  greatest  importance  in  our  history,  for  had  we 
remained  longer  without  an  active  leader  we  should  have 
rapidly  degenerated  and  disintegrated.  But  his  fine  hand, 
scholarly  mind,  and  restless  activity  have  aroused  an  en- 
thusiasm for  Christian  work  which  is  permeating  every 
department  and  almost  every  member. 

His  faculty  for  organization  has  already  borne  the  best 
results,  and  his  capacity  for  work  shames  us  all. 

The  membership  of  835,  reported  upon  our  consolida- 
tion in  1895,  has  increased  until  upon  November  23,  1898, 
it  has  reached  precisely  1000.  One  thousand  men  and 
women, — a  full  regiment  of  Christian  soldiers, — under 
wise,  active,  and  tactful  leadership,  should  do  much  for 
God  and  mankind. 

Dr.  Tupper  has  been  a  fruitful  author,  having  written 
"  Robertson's  Living  Thoughts,"  "  Seven  Great  Lights," 
"  Life  of  Diaz,"  "  Gladstone,"  and  other  addresses,  "  Re- 
lation of  Baptists  to  Literature,"  "  Popular  Treatise  on 
Christian  Baptism,"  besides  several  popular  lectures. 

It  is  a  remarkable  fact  that  nearly  all  our  pastors  have 
been  large  contributors  to  our  permanent  Baptist  literature, 
and  Dr.  Tupper  is  no  exception  to  the  rule. 

In  1898,  in  accordance  with  the  provisions  of  our  Arti- 
cles of  Consolidation,  the  properties  at  Broad  and  Arch 
and  at  Broad  and  Spruce  Streets  were  sold,  netting  the 
church  about  ^495,000.  Of  this,  $150,000  are  required  to 
be  set  aside  as  the  Endowment  Fund.  After  a  long  search 
for  a  suitable  lot  on  one  of  the  main  east  and  west  streets 
between  the  two  churches,  we  finally  were  forced  to  the 
conclusion  that  no  lot  was  available  except  at  too  great  a 
distance  west,  or  at  a  prohibitory  price  within  the  desired 
9 


I30  FlRS'l    BAPTIST  CIIUKCn. 

limits.  At  last  an  excellent  lot  on  Seventeenth  Street 
between  Chestnut  and  Walnut  Streets  was  found,  95  by 
148  feet,  with  light  on  three  sides.  It  is  in  a  most  desirable 
neighborhood  for  institutional  or  other  work,  and  so  near 
the  two  principal  railroad  stations  and  the  principal  hotels 
as  to  be  easily  accessible  to  our  suburban  members  and 
transient  travelers  and  visitors  to  the  city.  This  was 
bought  at  a  cost  of  about  ;^  180,000.  After  deducting 
various  expenses  of  removal,  refitting  Beth  Eden,  taxes  in 
litigation,  etc.,  we  shall  have  about  1^150,000  for  the  new 
church  and  its  furnishing.  We  expect  to  have  our  plans 
ready  early  in  1899,  and  shall  then  push  the  work  with 
vigor,  asking  earnestly  for  the  blessing  of  God  upon  this 
auspicious  beginning  of  our  Third  Century. 

As  a  frontispiece  of  this  volume  I  hope  to  present  the 
elevation  of  our  new  Church. 


HISTORY  OF  THE    BETH  EDEN    BAPTIST  CHURCH. 

By  JAMES  F.  HAGEN,  ESQ. 

The  life  of  the  Beth  Eden  Baptist  Church  from  its 
organization  through  the  several  pastorates,  and  with  its 
record  of  work  for  the  Master,  covers  in  all  but  about  a 
quarter  of  a  century,  and  still  continues  as  a  pleasant 
memory  with  many  of  its  members  yet  living,  though 
most  of  those  associated  with  it  at  its  foundation  are  now 
worshiping  in  "  the  house  not  made  with  hands." 

The  expansion  of  the  city  and  the  westward  tendency 
of  the  population,  which  have  combined  in  our  day  to 
bring  about  the  consolidation  of  Beth  Eden  with  the  First 
Church,  operated  some  twenty-five  years  before  to  bring 
it  into  existence.  The  letter  presented  to  the  Philadelphia 
Baptist  Association  by  Beth  Eden  when  applying  for  ad- 


BI-CENTENNIAL    CELEBRATION.  131 

mission  to  that  body  gives  a  very  concise  summary  of  the 
events  preceding  the  final  location  of  the  church  at  Broad 
and  Spruce  Streets,  and  from  it  we  learn  that  for  many 
years  it  had  been  a  cherished  purpose  with  some  of  the 
members  of  the  Spruce  Street  Baptist  Church  to  build  a 
meeting-house  in  a  more  western  part  of  the  city. 

In  execution  of  this  purpose  the  vacant  lot  on  the  east  side 
of  Eighteenth  Street,  extending  from  Ann  Street  to  Rit- 
tenhouse  Street,  had  been  purchased  by  Dr.  David  Jayne,  of 
the  Spruce  Street  Church,  an  architect  had  been  employed, 
plans  adopted,  and  the  building  was  about  to  be  erected, 
when  a  communication  was  sent  by  the  parent  church  to 
those  projecting  the  new  movement  asking  them  to  desist, 
and  inviting  the  selection  of  a  site  which  would  be  more 
central  to  all.  In  pursuance  of  this  proposition  the  requisite 
action  was  taken  by  the  Spruce  Street  Church,  and  it  was 
decided  by  more  than  a  three-fourths  vote  to  sell  the  old 
property  and  devote  the  proceeds  to  the  building  of  the 
new,  and  the  old  church  was  accordingly  advertised  for 
sale.  On  the  basis  of  this  action  also  the  lot  at  Eighteenth 
and  Rittenhouse  Streets  was  relinquished,  and  the  site  at 
the  northwest  corner  of  Broad  and  Spruce  Streets,  ex- 
tending to  Lardner  Street,  was  purchased  in  April,  1867, 
at  an  increased  cost  of  about  ;^25,ooo  for  the  ground  alone 
and  a  corresponding  increase  in  the  size  and  character  of 
the  church  building. 

Soon  after  the  building  at  Broad  and  Spruce  Streets 
was  commenced,  however,  there  began  to  be  manifested 
by  some  a  very  strong  attachment  to  the  old  locality, 
to  which  feeling  it  was  thought  best  to  yield.  The  result 
was  that  an  enterprise  commensurate  with  the  combined 
effort  of  the  whole  church,  and  dependent  for  its  financial 
success  on  the  sale  of  the  old  property,  devolved  on 
the  colony  which  left  the  parent  church,  which  relin- 
quished also   its  equitable   claim    on   the  latter  for  about 


132  FIRST  BAPTIST  CHURCH. 

one-third  of  its  value.  Nevertheless,  they  bravely  under- 
took the  work  before  them  with  an  indifference  to  difficul- 
ties and  a  spirit  of  resolution  which  characterized  the 
church  throughout  its  career.  Realizing  the  degree  to 
which  the  enterprise  was  handicapped  at  the  very  outset, 
we  must  confess  to  a  feeling  of  admiration  that  the  church 
should  have  survived  so  long,  doing  a  goodly  work  among 
men  ;  and  then,  at  the  last,  with  all  its  obligations  honor- 
ably discharged,  and  entirely  free  from  debt,  generously, 
and  in  a  rare  spirit  of  self-sacrifice,  contributing  its  prop- 
erty and  all  it  held  dear  in  uniting  with  a  sister  church  so 
that  a  larger  work  might  be  accomplished  and  to  insure 
the  maintenance  of  a  strong  Baptist  Church  in  the  central 
part  of  the  city  in  the  future  as  well  as  in  the  present. 

When  the  Spruce  Street  Church  finally  decided  to  remain 
on  the  old  site,  the  subscribers  appointed  Messrs.  James 
M.  Flanagan  and  A.  Macaltioner  the  building  committee, 
to  supervise  the  erection  of  the  new  church  at  Broad  and 
Spruce  Streets.  Most  of  our  churches  result  from  a  small 
interest  gradually  increasing  in  power,  the  erection  of  a 
building  naturally  following  ;  but  Beth  Eden  was  unique 
in  not  having  had  an  infancy,  but  in  being  born  full-grown 
the  erection  of  the  building  preceding  the  formal  organiza- 
tion of  the  church. 

In  the  autumn  of  1869  the  building  was  partially  com- 
pleted, and  on  Tuesday  evening,  November  23,  1869,  the 
first  religious  meeting  was  held  in  the  lecture-room  of  the 
church.  The  meeting  was  presided  over  by  Rev.  J.  Whea- 
ton  Smith,  D.D.,  and  was  well  attended. 

A  week  later  a  meeting  was  held  at  which  steps  were 
taken  looking  to  the  organization  of  the  church.  Mr. 
William  B.  Knowles  was  appointed  secretary,  and  a  com- 
mittee, consisting  of  Messrs.  Lowell  Shumway,  Charles  T. 
Miller,  Benjamin  Githens,  James  Speir,  and  W.  B.  Knowles, 
was  appointed  "  to  receive  the  names  of  such  Baptist  church 


BI-CENTENNIAL    CELEBRATION.  133 

members  as  desire  to  unite  in  forming  a  new  organiza- 
tion to  worship  in  this  House."  A  committee  was  also 
appointed  to  take  the  necessary  steps  to  secure  a  charter, 
and  one  (with  Dr.  Smith  as  chairman)  to  prepare  articles 
of  faith  and  rules  of  government,  etc. 

The  selection  of  a  name  for  the  church  was,  of  course,  a 
matter  of  moment  at  the  start,  and  we  accordingly  find 
that  a  committee  to  report  a  name  was  appointed  Decem- 
ber 7,  1869;  but  the  year  1869  closed  without  formal 
organization  having  been  perfected  or  a  name  chosen. 

On  March  8,  1870,  however,  a  meeting  was  held  at  which 
Mr,  Shumway,  as  Chairman,  reported  the  names  of  a  num- 
ber of  persons  who  desired  to  become  members  of  the  new 
church,  and  it  was  agreed  that  letters  of  dismission  from 
the  Spruce  Street  Church  be  asked  for  at  its  meeting  on 
Thursday  evening,  March  loth,  for  all  those  whose  names 
had  been  handed  to  Mr.  Shumway's  committee. 

After  considering  several  names,  "  Beth  Eden  "  was  the 
one  finally  unanimously  decided  upon.  It  was  suggested 
by  Miss  Anna  Maria  Anable,  a  valued  member  of  the 
church  throughout  its  existence,  and  the  only  person  in 
the  United  States  ever  baptized  by  Dr.  Adoniram  Judson. 

On  March  22d,  after  the  church  had  been  fully  organ- 
ized, Articles  of  Faith  were  submitted  for  adoption,  and  a 
form  of  charter  was  approved  and  subsequently  granted 
by  the  Court  of  Common  Pleas  on  the  13th  of  June,  1870, 
the  following  persons  being  named  as  Trustees  : 

James  M.  Flanagan,  Levi  Knowles,  A.  Macaltioner, 
Lowell  Shumway,  Benjamin  Githens,  Hibberd  Yarnall, 
Joseph  J.  Read,  A.  D.  Carroll,  A.  F.  Chesebrough,  Silas 
A.  George,  William  S.  Crowley,  and  Charles  T.  Miller. 

At  this  Church  meeting,  also,  Mr.  Henry  Croskey  was 
elected  Treasurer,  and  Mr.  William  B.  Knowles,  Church 
Clerk. 

The   existence  of  Beth  Eden   as   an  ecclesiastical  body 


134  FIRST  BAPTIST  LTll'RClJ. 

dates  from  Friday  evening,  April  i,  1870,  at  which  time  a 
letter  was  received  from  Spruce  Street  Baptist  Church  dis- 
missing to  the  new  church  190  members,  who,  with  eight 
others  received  from  different  churches,  comprised  the 
constituent  membership  of  the  church.  The  Beth  Eden 
Baptist  Church  was  then  constituted  by  the  adoption,  by  a 
rising  vote,  of  the  Covenant  of  Organization  and  Confes- 
sion of  Faith.  The  Covenant  of  Organization  was  as 
follows : 

"  Philadelphia,  April  i,  1870. 
"  We  whose  names  appear  above,  believers  in  the  Lord 
Jesus  Christ,  having  been  baptized  upon  profession  of  our 
faith  in  Him  do  hereby  unite  with  each  other  that  we  may 
walk  together  in  the  light  of  the  New  Testament  as  a 
Christian  Church.  Acknowledging  no  authority  in  human 
creeds  to  bind  the  conscience,  and  turning  reverently  to  the 
Scripture  of  Eternal  Truth  as  the  Supreme  standard  of 
faith  and  practice, — yet  to  the  end  that  men  may  know 
what  is  our  general  understanding  of  these  Scriptures,  and 
also  to  secure  a  certain  order  and  uniformity  among  our- 
selves we  do  hereby  adopt  and  publish  the  following  as  a 
confession  of  our  belief,  together  with  some  general  rules 
resulting  therefrom,  to  guide  us  in  our  practice." 

Rev.  J.  Wheaton  Smith,  D.D.,  was  then  unanimously 
elected  Pastor  of  the  new  church,  and  Lowell  Shumway, 
Charles  T.  Miller,  and  Joseph  J.  Read,  Deacons, — Levi 
Knowles  and  Henry  Croskey  being  subsequently  added. 

The  formal  opening  services  of  the  church  were  held 
Monday  to  Friday,  April  4  to  8  (inclusive),  1870,  and  in- 
cluded addresses  and  sermons  by  the  following  ministers  : 
Rev.  Drs.  J.  H.  Castle,  Warren  Randolph,  P.  S.  Henson, 
E.  L.  Magoon,  Charles  Cooke  (St.  George's  M.  E.  Church), 
George  Dana  Boardman,  Herrick  Johnson  (First  Presby- 
terian Church),  and  PLdward  Howes  (Central  Congrega- 
tional Church). 

Steps  were  at  once  taken  to  obtain  recognition  as  a  reg- 


BICENTENNIAL    CELEBRATION.  135 

ular  Baptist  Church.  A  Recognition  Council  was  held 
at  the  church,  Thursday,  April  28,  1870.  Thirty-eight 
churches  were  represented  in  the  Council,  which  chose  as 
Moderator  Rev.  Thomas  Winter.  The  Council  unani- 
mously approved  the  public  recognition  of  the  Beth  Eden 
Church,  and  the  services  were  held  Tuesday  evening,  May 
5th,  "a  good  congregation  being  present." 

On  September  26,  1870,  the  new  church,  now  fully  or- 
ganized, resolved  to  join  the  Philadelphia  Association,  and 
accordingly  named  delegates  to  that  body,  and  directed 
the  preparation  of  a  suitable  letter  setting  forth  its  desire 
to  be  admitted  to  membership. 

The  church  continued  under  Dr.  Smith's  pastorate  until 
December  8,  1879,  when  he  tendered  his  resignation,  which 
was  followed  in  February  of  the  next  year  by  that  of  Rev. 
William  Leggett  Kolb,  the  associate  pastor  from  May, 
1879,  the  church  being  thus  left  pastorless. 

On  January  31,  1881,  a  fire  occurred  which  destroyed 
the  house  of  worship,  leaving  only  the  walls  standing,  and 
depriving  the  people  of  Beth  Eden  of  their  church  home. 
But  while  without  a  church  home,  they  were  not  without 
kindly  offers  from  other  churches  (including  the  old  First 
Baptist  Church),  which,  with  a  beautiful  disregard  of  de- 
nominational lines,  freely  offered  their  houses  of  worship 
to  Beth  Eden  in  the  hour  of  its  necessity.  It  was  finally 
determined  to  accept  the  invitation  of  the  Wylie  Presby- 
terian Church,  Broad  Street  below  Spruce,  and  in  the 
lecture-room  of  this  church  Beth  Eden  made  its  home. 
In  passing,  it  may  be  observed,  as  typical  of  the  tendency 
of  our  times,  that  the  Wylie  Church  has  also  ceased  to 
exist  as  a  distinct  organization,  having  consolidated  with 
the  Chambers  Memorial  Church. 

Left  without  their  house  of  worship,  the  members  of  the 
church  seriously  considered  whether  it  would  be  advisable 
to  locate  upon  a  new  site,  or  rebuild  on  the  old  ;   but  on 


136 


FIRST  BAPTIST  CHURCH. 


February  i8,  1881,  it  was  decided  to  rebuild  on  the  old  site, 
and  steps  were  at  once  taken  to  that  end,  the  church  sub- 
sequently appointing  a  committee,  consisting  of  Rev.  Dr. 
Smith,  Charles  T.  Miller,  H.  La  Barre  Jayne,  and  John  H. 
Scott,  Jr.,  to  supervise  the  erection  of  the  church. 

The  work  of  rebuilding  progressed  so  rapidly  that  on  the 
2d  of  December,  1881, — about  ten  months  after  the  fire, — 
the  church  was   enabled  to  assemble  once  more  in  its  own 


Fig.  38.— Thk  Beth  Eden  Baptist  Church,  Broad  and  Spruce  Streets. 
{Kindly  photographed,  in  1S9S,  by  Mr.  Robert  G.  Il'ilson.] 


house  to  engage  in  the  weekly  prayer  service  (Figs.  38 
and  39).  We  get  a  good  picture  of  the  reopening  service 
from  the  Church  Minutes: 

"  Dr.  Smith  opened  the  meeting,  and  after  the  singing 
the  second  chapter  of  Haggai  was  read  by  him.  Prayers 
were  offered  by  Deacons  Miller,  Shumway.and  Morse,  and 
the  hymns  "  Sweet  Hour  of  Prayer  "  and  "  Nearer  my  God 
to  Thee  "  were  sung.  The  whole  service  being  entered 
into  with  the  spirit  of  worship  will  doubtless  leave  a  last- 
ing impression  on  the  minds  of  those  present.     Dr.  Smith 


BI-  CENTENNIAL    CELEBRA  TION. 


137 


closed  in  an  earnest  prayer,  invoking  the  blessing  and  favor 
of  God  upon  the  new  work  and  worship  of  our  Church." 

The  first  regular  Lord's  Day  service  was  held  on  Sun- 
day morning,  December  iith,  and  the  ordinance  of  the 
Lord's  Supper  was  observed. 


Fig.  39. — Ekth  Eden  Interior. 
[A'imily  photographed  by  M>\  John   Giibbitigs.l 


On  May  i,  1882,  Rev.  John  W.  Ashworth  (Fig.  40),  of 
England,  was  called  to  the  pastorate  of  the  Church,  con- 
tinuing for  about  a  year,  when  he  was  succeeded.  May  1 1, 
1883,  by  Rev.  John  T.  Beckley,  D.D.  (Fig.  41),  the  last 
Pastor.  Dr.  Beckley 's  term  of  service,  covering  eleven 
years,  was  characterized  by  devoted,  earnest  work  on  the 
part  of  Pastor  and  people,  coupled  with  the  exercise  of  a 


138  FJRSy  BAPTIST  CHURCH. 

most  generous  benevolence,  and  the  church  was  pervaded 
by  a  spirit  of  harmony  and  fellowship  which  made  it  as 
one  family,  united  and  loyal  in  the  service  of  the  Master. 

With  the  year  1894  we  approach  the  events  which  culmi- 
nated in  consolidation.  In  May  of  that  year  Dr.  Beckley 
resigned  the  pastorate,  and,  the  resignation  being  subse- 
quently accepted,   the  church,  in   July  of   1894,  was  once 


Fig.  40. — Rev.  John  Wigney  Ashworth. 


more  without  a  pastor.  On  August  24th  a  communication 
was  received  by  the  church  from  the  Philadelphia  Baptist 
City  Mission,  asking  that  the  church — 

"Appoint  a  committee  of  three,  to  meet  a  like  committee 
from  the  First  Baptist  Church,  the  Tabernacle  Baptist 
Church,  and  three  individuals  at  large,  to  be  appointed  by 
this  joint  committee — to  constitute  a  general  committee  to 
informally  consider  the  denominational  interests  in  the 
center  of  the  city." 


BI-CENTENNIAL    CELEBRATION.  139 

The  names  of  those  composing  the  committees  appointed 
by  the  several  churches,  as  well  as  those  called  into  consul- 
tation with  them,  will  be  found  in  their  joint  Report  below. 

Meanwhile,  however,  from  the  termination  of  Dr.  Beck- 
ley's  ministry,  the  church  had  been  fortunate  in  securing 
the  services  of  Rev.  Frederic  Foye  Briggs  (Fig.  42),  then 
a  recent  graduate  of  Crozer  Seminary,  as  a  regular  supply, 
and  his  preaching  and  pastoral  worlc  were  alike  so  satisfac- 


FiG.  41. — Rkv.  John  Tustin  Beckley,  D.D. 

tory  as  to  result  in  his  being  unanimously  called,  on  Octo- 
ber 1 2th,  to  become  the  Pastor  of  the  church.  Inasmuch, 
however,  as  the  work  of  the  joint  committee  mentioned 
above  had  developed  in  such  a  way  as  to  suggest  the 
serious  possibility  of  the  consolidation  of  Beth  Eden  with 
one  or  both  of  the  other  churches,  Mr.  Briggs  felt  con- 
strained to  accept  the  call  only  as  stated  supply  for  a  period 
of  six  months,  beginning  November  i,  1894. 


140 


FIRST  BAPTIST  CHURCH. 


The  church  meeting  held  on  December  28,  1894,  was  a 
most  important  one,  as  the  Committee,  consisting  of 
Messrs.  Hunter,  Githens,  and  Shumway,  then  submitted 
the  following  Report : 

"To  THE  First,  Tabernacle,  and    Beth  Eden  Baptist 
Churches: 
"  Your  Joint  Committee,  appointed  to  consider  the  re-ad- 


FiG.  42. — Rp;v.  Frederic  Fove  Briggs,  A.M. 


justment  of  Baptist  interests  in  the  central  part  of  the  city, 
beg  leave  to  report  as  follows : 

"  Since  their  appointment,  they  have  held  prolonged 
weekly  meetings,  and  have  considered  fully  and  earnestly 
the  best  methods  of  perpetuating  and  enlarging  the  work- 
in  the  field  now  occupied  by  the  three  churches 

"They  invited  in  consultation  with  them  Rev.  Dr.  George 
Dana  Boardman,  Honorary  Pastor  of  the  First  Church  ; 
Rev.    Dr.    George     E.    Rees,    Pastor    of    the    Tabernacle 


BI-CENTENNIAL    CELEBRATION.  141 

Church  ;  Rev.  B.  MacMakin,  Secretary  of  the  Philadel- 
phia Baptist  City  Mission;  and  J.  Howard  Gendell,  Esq., 
who  has  advised  us  as  to  the  legal  aspects  of  the  plan  of 
consolidation.  As  Mrs.  Bucknell,  of  the  Beth  Eden 
Church,  owing  to  absence  from  the  city,  was  not  able  to 
meet  the  Committee,  they  requested  Deacon  Shumway  to 
fill  her  place. 

"  It  is  their  unanimous  judgment  that  the  work  now 
carried  on  by  the  three  churches  could  be  more  efficiently 
accomplished,  and  also  other  work  in  line  with  the  forward 
movements  of  our  day  could  be  undertaken,  if  a  union  of 
the  forces  and  means  now  employed  in  sustaining  the 
three  churches  were  concentrated  by  establishing  one 
central  church,  well  equipped  with  workers  and  other 
agencies  for  aggressive  Christian  service,  and  also,  that  in 
anticipation  of  the  rapid  changes  taking  place  in  the  center 
of  the  city,  through  the  removal  of  families  to  the  newer 
parts  of  the  city,  and  through  the  encroachment  of  busi- 
ness, provision  could  be  made  for  laying  aside  a  sufficient 
sum  of  money  as  an  endowment,  whereby  this  central 
church  would  be  financially  insured  against  the  contin- 
gency of  coming  years,  and  our  Baptist  witness  to  the 
truth  be  perpetuated  in  the  central  portion  of  the  city,  as 
well  as  strengthened  in  other  parts  where  it  is  greatly 
needed.  The  Committee  desire  to  state  that,  throughout 
this  movement,  Rev.  Dr.  Rees,  who  has  been  its  prime 
mover,  has  exhibited  the  utmost  degree  of  foresight, 
magnanimity,  and  self-forgetfulness. 

"The  Committee  recommend  the  following  articles  of 
agreement  for  adoption — viz. : 

"  Articles  of  Agreement. 

''Article  I. — The  three  churches  shall,  by  proper  legal 
proceedings,  be  consolidated  into  one  corporation,  under 
the  name  of  '  The  First  Baptist  Church  in  Philadelphia,' 
for  convenience  in  this  paper  called  the  '  Consolidated 
Church.'  Each  of  the  three  churches  shall  instruct  its 
Board  of  Trustees  to  join  in  proper  proceedings  in  the 
name  of  the  Church,  and  under  its  corporate  seal,  and  for 
that  purpose  shall  authorize  its  Board  to  agree  with  the 
other    Boards  of  Trustees,   representing    their    respective 


142  FIRST  BAPTIST  CHURCH. 

cluirclie.s,  on  the  details  of  the  petition  for  consolidation — 
such,  for  instance,  as  the  powers,  duties,  etc.,  of  the  Board 
of  Trustees  of  the  Consolidated  Church,  etc. 

''Article  II. — The  Board  of  Trustees,  whose  names  are  to 
be  stated  in  the  petition  for  consolidation,  shall  consist  of 
fifteen  persons.  They  shall  be  selected,  one-third  from 
each  of  the  present  churches,  each  church  selecting  five. 
These  Trustees  shall  serve  until  the  first  election  by  the 
Consolidated  Church. 

'''Article  III. — Each  church  shall  select  three  Deacons. 
The  nine  thus  selected  shall  serve  temporarily  as  the  Dea- 
cons of  the  Consolidated  Church  until  the  first  election 
after  consolidation. 

"Article  IV. — At  the  first  meeting  for  business  of  the  Con- 
solidated Church,  which  shall  be  held  as  soon  as  practic- 
able after  the  decree  of  consolidation,  a  Church  Clerk  and 
a  Treasurer  shall  be  elected,  and  action  shall  be  taken,  by 
the  appointment  of  a  committee  or  otherwise,  toward  the 
formulation  and  adoption  of  by-laws  and  rules. 

"Article  V. — The  Consolidated  Church,  by  its  Board  of 
Trustees,  shall  proceed  as  promptly  as  possible  to  sell  so 
much  of  the  property,  real  and  personal,  as  it  may  appear 
desirable  to  sell.  One-fourth  of  the  actual  proceeds  of  so 
much  of  the  real  and  personal  estate  at  Broad  and  Arch 
Streets,  Eighteenth  and  Chestnut  Streets,  and  Broad  and 
Spruce  Streets,  as  may  be  sold,  together  with  one-fourth 
of  the  estimated  value  of  any  one  of  these  properties, 
which  may  be  retained  for  the  use  of  the  Consolidated 
Church,  shall  be  set  apart  as  an  Endowment  Fund,  to  be 
invested  and  the  principal  thereof  to  remain  intact,  not 
to  be  used  even  temporarily,  but  the  income  only  to  be 
applied  toward  the  work  of  the  church.  The  estimated 
value  above  referred  to  shall  be  fixed  by  the  Board  of 
Trustees  of  the  Consolidated  Church. 

"Article  VI. — Inasmuch  as,  for  various  reasons,  a  number 
of  members  of  the  three  churches  may  not  be  able  perma- 
nently to  attend  the  Consolidated  Church,  it  is  agreed  that 
after  the  consolidation  has  been  effected  there  shall  be 
appropriated,  from  the  proceeds  of  the  church  properties 
sold,  ^100,000  for  the  use  of  that  portion  of  the  members 
of  the  Consolidated  Church,  not  less  than  seventy-five  in 


BI-CENTENNIAL    CELEBRATION.  143 

number,  who  may  desire  to  form  one  new  church  under 
the  leadership  of  Rev.  Dr.  George  E.  Rees.  It  is  agreed 
that  this  $100,000  sliall  be  paid  to  the  Trustees  of  this 
new  church  when  legally  organized,  and  shall  be  used  only 
for  the  erection  of  buildings  and  the  support  of  this  new 
Baptist  Church.  This  new  body  shall  be  a  colony  from 
the  Consolidated  Church.  Such  a  new  church  seems  very 
desirable  from  a  broad  view  of  the  best  interests  of  the 
denomination  at  large. 

''Article  VII. — As  soon  as  practicable,  the  Consolidated 
Church  shall  take  the  necessary  steps  toward  obtaining  a 
pastor.  Until  a  permanent  pastor  is  secured,  it  is  agreed 
that  the  Rev.  Dr.  Rees  and  the  Rev.  F.  F.  Briggs  shall  be 
the  temporary  pastors  of  the  Consolidated  Church. 

''Article  VIII. — After  the  consolidation  is  completed,  the 
meetings  of  the  Consolidated  Church  shall  be  held  in  any 
one  of  the  three  church  buildings  or  elsewhere,  as  shall  be 
decided  by  the  Consolidated  Church.  All  pew  rents  shall 
then  cease  and  determine,  and,  unless  otherwise  ordered, 
the  pews  shall  be  free.  The  expenses  of  the  church  shall 
be  met  by  contributions,  and  the  income  from  the  Endow- 
ment Fund  when  it  is  formed. 

"Article  IX. — As  soon  as  practicable,  the  Consolidated 
Church  shall  provide  the  necessary  church  buildings,  to  be 
located  as  nearly  central  as  possible  in  the  west-central  part 
of  the  city,  in  the  field  now  occupied  by  the  three  churches. 
It  is  intended  to  carry  on  the  work  of  the  church  as  an  In- 
stitutional Church,  and  the  buildings  shall  be  constructed 
accordingly.  The  changes  necessary  to  develop  work  of 
that  character  shall,  however,  be  made  without  awaiting  the 
construction  of  the  new  buildings,  by  such  gradual  steps  as 
may  be  found  practicable. 

"Your  Committee,  therefore,  in  order  to  carry  out  the 
plan  above  outlined,  recommend  that  each  church  shall 
adopt  the  following  resolutions,  to  wit: 

"  Resolutions. 

"  First. — Resolved,  That  the  l^oard  of  Trustees  of  this 
Church  be  and  hereby  is  authorized  to  join  with  the  repre- 
sentatives of  the  [here  insert  the  names  of  the  other  two 


144  FIRS']'  BAPTIST  CHURCH. 

churches]  Baptist  Churches,  upon  the  details  of  a  petition 
for  the  consolidation  of  the  three  churches  and,  having 
agreed  thereon,  is  directed  to  join  in  such  petition,  and,  by 
its  proper  officers,  execute  the  same  in  the  name  of  the 
church  and  under  its  corporate  seal. 

"  Second. — Resolved,  That  this  church  hereby  appoints 
[here  insert  the  names  of  five  persons]  as  Trustees  to  be 
named  in  the  petition  for  the  consolidation  of  the  three 
churches. 

"Third. — Resolved,  That  this  church  hereby  appoints 
[here  insert  the  names  of  three  persons]  as  the  three  Dea- 
cons, specified  in  Article  III  of  the  'Articles  of  Agree- 
ment.' 

(Signed) 

H.  L.  Wayland, 
Wm.  a.  Levering, 
W.  W.  Keen. 

{First  C/iurcIi.) 

Lowell  Shumwav. 

^         .,,        /  Benjamin  Githens, 

David  A.  Hunter. 

{Beth  Eden.) 

Levi  Knowles, 
Matthew  F.  Hamilton, 
Aaron  E.  Carpenter. 

(  Tabernacle.)  " 

There  was  also  submitted  a  set  of  resolutions  adopted 
by  the  First  Baptist  Church,  inviting  the  union  of  the  Beth 
Eden,  Tabernacle,  and  First  Baptist  churches,  under  the 
charter  of  the  latter. 

The  church,  after  considering  the  matter,  adopted  the 
following  resolution  : 

"Resolved,  That  Brethren  Lowell  Shumway,  Benj.  Gith- 
ens, David  A.  Hunter,  John  H.  Geyer,  Edwin  W.  Dukes, 
Charles  F.  Morrison,  and  James  F.  Hagen  be  a  committee 
to  meet  with  a  similar  committee  from  the  First  and  Taber- 
nacle Baptist  Churches  to  consider  the  subject  of  the  invita- 
tion of  the  First  Baptist  Church  in  regard  to  consolidation 
with  them,  and  to  report  at  a  future  meeting." 


BICENTENNIAL    CELEBRATION.  145 

The  Committee  of  Seven  reported  at  a  meeting  held  on 
January  25,  1895,  when  the  church  adopted  the  Commit- 
tee's report,  which  follows : 

To  THE  First  and  Beth  Eden  Baptist  Churches: 

Your  Joint  Committee,  appointed  to  consider  the  re- 
adjustment of  Baptist  interests  in  the  central  part  of  the 
city,  beg  leave  to  report  as  follows  : 

Your  Committee  met,  in  conjunction  with  a  Committee 
appointed  by  the  Tabernacle  Baptist  Church,  and,  after 
mature  deliberation,  unanimously  passed  the  following 
Resolutions : 

"  Resolved,  That  the  two  churches  (the  Beth  Eden  and  First 
Church)  shall,  by  proper  legal  proceedings,  be  consolidated  under 
the  Charter  of  the  First  Baptist  Church  of  Philadelphia.  Each  of  the 
two  churches  shall  instruct  its  Board  of  Trustees  to  join  in  proper 
proceedings  in  the  name  of  the  church  and  under  its  Corporate  Seal, 
and  for  that  purpose  shall  authorize  its  Board  to  agree  with  the  other 
Board  of  Trustees  on  the  details  of  the  Petition  for  Consolidation — 
such,  for  instance,  as  the  powers,  duties,  etc.,  of  the  Board  of  Trustees 
of  the  First  Baptist  Church. 

"  Resolved,  That  the  Tabernacle  Church  be  requested  to  dismiss 
to  the  First  Baptist  Church  such  as  wish  to  join  the  new  enterprise, 
and  to  contribute  to  it  such  funds  as  they  deem  best." 

That  your  Committee  subsequently  considered  the 
matter  of  consolidation,  and,  as  a  result  of  their  delibera- 
tion, it  is  their  judgment  that  the  work  now  carried  on  by 
the  two  churches  could  be  more  efficiently  accomplished, 
and  also  other  work  in  line  with  the  forward  movements  of 
our  day  could  be  undertaken,  if  a  union  of  the  forces  and 
means  now  employed  in  sustaining  the  two  churches  were 
concentrated  by  establishing  one  central  church,  well 
equipped  with  workers  and  other  agencies  for  aggressive 
Christian  service ;  and,  also,  that  in  anticipation  of  the 
rapid  changes  taking  place  in  the  center  of  the  city, 
through  removal  of  families  to  the  newer  parts  of  the  city, 
and  through  the  encroachment  of  business,  provision  could 
be  made  for  laying  aside  a  sufficient  sum  of  money  as  an 
endowment,  whereby  the  central  church  would  be  finan- 
cially insured  against  the  contingency  of  coming  years,  and 
our  Baptist  witness  to  the  truth  be  perpetuated  in  the  cen- 


146  FIRST  BAPTIST  CHURCH. 

tral  portion  of  the  city,  as  well  as  strengthened  in  other 
parts,  where  it  is  greatly  needed. 

The  Committee,  therefore,  recommend  the  following 
Articles  of  Agreement  for  adoption,  viz. : 

Ar'J'icles  of  Agreement. 

Article  I. — The  two  churches  shall,  by  proper  legal  pro- 
ceedings, be  consolidated  into  the  Charter  of  "  The  First 
Baptist  Church  of  Philadelphia,"  Each  of  the  two  churches 
shall  instruct  its  Board  of  Trustees  to  join  in  proper  pro- 
ceedings in  the  name  of  the  church,  and  under  its  corpo- 
rate seal,  and  for  that  purpose  shall  authorize  its  Board  to 
agree  with  the  other  Board  of  Trustees  on  the  details  of 
the  Petition  for  Consolidation — such,  for  instance,  as  the 
powers,  duties,  etc.,  of  the  Board  of  Trustees  of  the  First 
Baptist  Church. 

Article  II. — The  Board  of  Trustees,  whose  names  are  to 
be  stated  in  the  Petition  for  Consolidation,  shall  consist  of 
fifteen  persons.  They  shall  be  selected,  eight  members 
from  the  First  Baptist  Church,  and  seven  members  from 
the  Beth  Eden  Church. 

Article  III. — The  Deacons  of  the  Beth  Eden  Church 
shall  become  Deacons  of  the  First  Baptist  Church. 

Article  IV. — At  the  first  meeting  for  business,  after  con- 
solidation, which  shall  be  held  as  soon  as  practicable  after 
consolidation,  a  Church  Clerk  and  a  Treasurer  shall  be 
selected,  and  action  shall  be  taken,  by  the  appointment  of 
a  committee  or  otherwise,  toward  the  formation  and  adop- 
tion of  By-Laws  and  Rules. 

Article  V. — As  soon  after  consolidation  as  practicable, 
the  Board  of  Trustees  shall  proceed  to  sell  the  two  prop- 
erties at  Broad  and  Arch  Streets  and  Broad  and  Spruce 
Streets,  either  at  public  or  private  sale.  From  the  pro- 
ceeds, $150,000,  or  more  if  possible,  shall  be  set  aside  as  an 
Endowment  Fund,  which  shall  be  safely  invested,  and  the 
principal  thereof  remain  intact  forever,  not  to  be  used  even 
temporarily,  but  only  the  income  thereof  to  be  applied 
toward  the  work  of  the  church.  The  Board  of  Trustees 
shall  also,  as  soon  as  possible,  obtain  the  refusal  of  a  new 
site  in  the  central  part  of  the  city  sufficiently  large  for  a 
church  and   Guild   House,  and,   if  practicable,  also  for  a 


BI-CENTEMNIAL    CELEBRATION.  147 

Parsonage,  which  shall  be  purchased,  after  approval  by  a 
majority  of  the  adult  members  of  the  church. 

Article  VI. — As  soon  as  practicable  after  consolidation, 
the  church  shall  take  the  necessary  steps  toward  obtaining 
a  pastor.  Until  a  permanent  pastor  is  secured,  it  is  agreed 
that  the   Rev.  F.  F.  Briggs  shall  be  the  temporary  pastor. 

Your  Committee,  therefore,  in  order  to  carry  out  the  plan 
above  outlined,  recommend  that  each  church  shall  adopt 
the  following  Resolutions,  to  wit : 

Resolutions. 

I. — Resolved,  That  the  Articles  of  Agreement,  as  sub- 
mitted by  the  Joint  Committee  on  Consolidation,  be  and 
are  hereby  adopted. 

II. — Resolved,Th.Ai  the  Board  of  Trustees  of  this  church 
be  and  is  hereby  authorized  to  join  with  the  representatives 
of  \_here  insert  the  name  of  the  other  chnrcli\  upon  the  details 
of  a  Petition  for  the  consolidation  of  the  Beth  Eden  Bap- 
tist Church  into  the  Charter  of  the  First  Baptist  Church, 
and  having  agreed  thereon,  is  hereby  directed  to  join  in 
such  Petition,  and,  by  its  proper  officers,  execute  the  same 
in  the  name  of  the  church,  and  under  its  corporate  seal. 

III. — Resok'ed,'Y\\-3itW\Q  Tabernacle  Church  be  requested 
to  dismiss  to  the  First  Baptist  Church  such  as  wish  to  join 
the  new  enterprise,  and  to  contribute  to  it  such  funds  as 
they  deem  best. 

'Joseph  F.  Page, 
William  H.  Ford, 
W.  A.  Levering, 
Ernest  Leigh  Tustin, 
B.  Ogden  Loxley, 
Augustus  Thomas, 
W.  W.  Keen. 
/-  -..         /  (First  C/iurcli.) 

Lowell  Shumway, 
David  A.  Hunter, 
Benjamin  Githens, 
John  H.  Geykr, 
Edwin  W.  Dukes, 
James  F.  Hag  en, 
Charles  F.  Morrison. 

{Beth  Eden  C/iiirck.) 


148  FIRST  BAPTIST  CHURCH. 

The  church  subsequently  chose  the  following  Trustees 
to  represent  the  Beth  Eden  interest  in  the  Board  of  Trus- 
tees of  the  consolidated  church  :  Benjamin  Githens,  David 
A.  Hunter,  John  H.  Geyer,  Edwin  W.  Dukes,  William  S. 
Haines,  Charles  F.  Morrison,  and  James  F.  Hagen.  At  a 
meeting  held  on  the  twenty-sixth  day  of  February  the 
church  formally  approved  a  Petition  to  the  Court  of  Com- 
mon Pleas,  No.  2,  for  consolidation  with  the  First  Baptist 
Church,  upon  the  terms  set  forth  in  the  Report  of  the  Com- 
mittee of  Seven,  and  a  decree  formally  consolidating  the 
Beth  Eden  Church  with  the  First  Church,  under  the  name 
"The  First  Baptist  Church  of  the  City  of  Philadelphia," 
was  entered  by  the  Court  on  April  13,  1895,— bringing  to 
a  close  the  history  of  Beth  Eden  Baptist  Church. 

In  concluding  this  sketch  it  may  be  proper  to  add  that, 
while  not  possessing  a  very  large  membership,  the  church 
participated  earnestly  in  philanthropic  work,  and  fulfilled 
its  mission  in  the  community.  For  several  years  religious 
services  under  its  auspices  were  held  at  Durham's  Hall, 
Seventeenth  and  South  Streets,  and  earnest  work  done, 
largely  through  the  consecrated  efforts  of  Mr.  John  Bunt- 
ing, now  deceased  ;  the  meetings  being  finally  discontinued, 
however,  most  of  those  connected  with  the  movement  came 
to  Broad  and  Spruce  Street  Church.  In  other  directions 
also  the  church  extended  its  usefulness,  but  of  the  good 
accomplished,  or  of  the  influence  on  the  lives  of  men  and 
women  exerted  by  the  church,  it  is  not  given  us  to  know; 
the  record  is  on  high. 


B I- CENTENNIAL    CELEBRATION.  149 

V.   Manners  and  Customs  of  our  Church,  especially  in 
its  Earlier  Days. 

Some  peculiar  features  in  the  history  of  our  church  are 
disclosed  by  reading  the  Minutes,  the  Marriage  Book,  and 
the  many  other  records  of  bygone  times.  They  are  of  in- 
terest especially  in  contrasting  the  morals,  manners,  and 
customs  of  our  own  times  with  those  of  earlier  days. 

Minutes. — Unfortunately,  no  Minutes  are  extant  until 
February  4,  1757.  This  was  toward  the  end  of  the  minis- 
try of  Jenkin  Jones,  when  his  health  was  so  precarious  that 
his  services  were  irregular.  The  first  three  Minutes  are  of 
interest.     (See  Fig.  43.) 

The  third  Minute  is  completed  on  the  page  following 
that  illustrated  in  the  cut,  as  follows: 

■'  S.  Burkloe  on  the  other,  were  amicably  adjusted,  each 
promising  to  forgive  and  forget.  N.  B. — This,  and  the  pre- 
ceding Minute  by  Dr.  Weed." 

Evidently,  the  Minutes  have  been  copied  from  some  pre- 
vious blotter.  Our  Marriage  Book  shows  that  they  were 
written  by  Morgan  Edwards,  for  the  handwriting  is  unmis- 
takable. (See  facsimile  from  Marriage  Book  later.)  They 
are  most  beautifully  written  and  exactly  kept.  In  fact,  this 
may  be  said  of  all  our  church  clerks,  not  excepting  the 
present  one,  Mr.  W.  Clifton  Geyer. 

The  business  meetings  were  often  held  at  9  a.  m.,  2,  5,  or 
6  p.  M.,  and  sometimes  at  "early  candle  light";  but  very 
rarely  in  the  evening  until  1817,  when  evening  meetings  for 
business  began  to  be  frequent.  The  business  of  the  church, 
it  would  seem,  took  precedence  even  of  their  own  private 
affairs. 

The  frankness  with  which  the  Minutes  deal  with  personal 
offenses,  as  will  be  seen,  is  quite  extraordinary,  especially 
in  contrast  with  our  own  more  careful  methods.     In  the 


ISO 


FIRST  BAPTIST  CHURCH. 


>T!J 


%c   chuicVi  met  T«lv   , 


'I>\>:    v>V>)(\i\\tiCn  tn  itt".  S>T«Ui    tf  bi 


dtW,x\)ir>4   'V^'-  f«nLv>ct»   ck  rtca^imaS   vmiti  Won   «fi^iVc\iTnvy 
witVi   ^vxm All  McnfoMf*   •     ^    utiKiticm   iTfcniUWT    u^mit"  ^Nimuil 


TVie  cWvikcVa   mti  Y^,.'.  jf .  )j  <;- 


fely    .    V^'Wui   ft\t.   JXtuKfa    had      twAviivcuiid    \C    ^uniXOft      linvY 

ind.    ^.  "BvitKlct    was    ao^uiTttd    diT   iVvvt    tinu.,  ^<^itcA    ■S\%at 

t>\«.   MX  irvoiiwdi    paidL    V^    f|tr»rjt  tanrv     ^ciiui    -5  tuvicUd  4«iCT>d 

^amvul  ^\o»r(Sal■> 


"Pu  h?nviv»  tl\o»^i_)  or  AKimWcMHv^-,,  sw«airin(|,  and  u«- 
tiirtilnlnifs  icniwtd  a^^iniV  M'  ^i-iWot  b^  Lcwxs  Pvtti  Jind  3'>V%ii 
TcirV.iv>s  .  ssVro  ccrmnlai-n    ttiaa.  (ht.  <5yc\»>\As   of  ihtiv  that^^i  -   utrt. 

not   tay\(Ud\y   wti^Viti   IVm.  4>it.txi«t    ptliiin Saimul   Eju«WIc<.  dtnvtiL 

tvv£  cVvATi^c) ,  juift  iecom>v»««A«^  te  tVic  tcnsi^Yation  of  iui  jlku^ck^  ■«< 
(dlc>M\w^  uiti  lev  vx  X.  ifc  Iic^  m  X  <.  9  iTwn.B  3  f,il-v.nr.  Nan*- 
tV>t-U{"i  BunVvlct  was  bUi>i«d.  ivn  u\i(ltviaVm(J  to  nuLiv^L  »K  nvmit 
«(■  sidMtTO^ticn  ,  a»»d  1Vuv>    nuJluHng  it   Ir  ftu.  Uint  of   Ktv"*      IviAC 

6nUt  . One   «i)vd«t\tt  cf^  Wii  iwtitin^     W3A   tevind  ,  but  1h»  tivatdcs- 

of  d^nnWtMnds  Aid  txct  »i»^vc».i  jiii>  .  TW.  <;iw\e.  nxisons  kUntt- 
SajTivitl  Modin  fct  diliaaixxt!  H\{i>\  ^^^n>^  cov>m>vipv\  vvitVyivilt  da'iiM; 
hil  -icisen^  .  CitVuis  iVwii^fiinx  nor  te  Hiwxt.  -  ^fj  Aiift5tv\tx-  V*- 
tvvfjLW  J   Ttnto^  ,  Lwvii  r-\tt% ,  and  JoV\r>   2>vddlt  0T\  -tht  on*  liwt ;  a»«L 


Fig.  43- 


-Facsimile  of  the  First  Page  of  our  Fikst  Minute  Book 
(IN  the  Handwriting  of  Morgan  Edwards). 


BI-CENTENNIAL    CELEBRATION.  151 

earlier  Minutes,  from  1762  until  the  end  of  i8i4,the  names 
of  all  members  present  were  recorded,  and  it  is  to  be  noted 
that  only  men  attended  the  church  meetings  for  many 
years.  This  may  account  in  part  for  the  extraordinary 
plain-speaking  of  the  Minutes,  especially  in  cases  of  disci- 
pline— a  plainness  which  would  be  out  of  place  in  a  mixed 
assembly. 

Voting  by  Women.— T\\^  Minutes  for  March  31,  1764, 
contain  the  following  item  in  reference  to  the  voting  by 
women  at  the  church  business  meetings  : 

"  The  following  reply  to  a  query,  brought  the  last  meet- 
ing of  business,  was  agreed  upon  by  all  present : 

"  '  Whether  women  have  a  right  of  voting  in  the  church  ?' 
To  which  we  reply,  with  due  honour  to  our  sisters: 
That  the  rights  of  Christians  are  not  subject  to  our  deter- 
minations, nor  to  the  determinations  of  any  church  or 
state  upon  earth.  We  could  easily  answer  that,  in  civil 
affairs,  they  have  no  such  right;  but  whether  they  have, 
or  have  not  in  the  church,  can  only  be  determined  by  the 
Gospel,  to  which  we  refer  them.  But  if,  upon  enquiry,  no 
such  grant  of  right  can  be  found  in  the  gospel,  and  if  vot- 
ing should  appear  to  be  a  mere  custom,  we  see  no  necessity 
for  breaking  it,  except  the  custom  should,  at  any  time,  be 
stretched  to  subvert  the  subordination  which  the  gospel 
hath  established  in  all  the  churches  of  the  saints.  I  suffer 
not  a  zuonian  to  nsurp  authority  ;  but  command  that  she  be 
in  subjection,  as  also  saitli  the  laiv.  i  Tim.  ii ;  i  Cor.  xiv. 
Nor  do  we  know  that  this  church,  or  any  of  us,  have  done 
anything  to  deprive  the  sisters  of  such  a  practice  be  it  a 
right,  or  be  it  a  custom  only,  except  a  neglect  on  a  late 
occasion  be  deemed  such,  which  we  justify  not.  On  the 
contrary,  if  the  sisters  do  attend  our  meetings  of  business, 
we  purpose  that  their  suffrage  or  disapprobation  shall  have 
their  proper  influence;  and,  in  case  they  do  not  attend 
statedly  we  purpose  to  invite  them  when  anything  is  to  be 
transacted  which  touches  the  interest  of  their  souls.  We 
depute  our  brother  Samuel  Davis  to  wait  on  the  sisters, 
with  our  christian  respects  ;  and  to  communicate  to  them 
this  our  minute." 


152  FIRST  BAPTIST  CHURCH. 

To  this  on  May  4th  the  Sisters  sent  the  following  reply  : 

"  Respected  Brethren, 

"  Tlie  Sisters  being  informed  that  a  query  was  proposed 
in  a  Meeting  of  Business  held  the  3d  of  March  to  know 
whether  Women  has  a  Right  of  voteing  in  that  Church, 
that  the  Brethren  debated  it  some  Time,  and  then  left  it 
to  further  Consideration,  they  soon  let  the  Brethren  know 
it  was  a  Mistake  and  the  Sisters  who  had  been  many  Years 
Members  of  that  Church  was  well  acquainted  with  the 
Privileges  they  Members  enjoyed  even  before  they  gave 
their  Names  amongst  them,  and  had  they  thought  their 
Priviliges  or  their  Practices  contray  to  the  Word  of  God 
they  would  or  ought  to  have  kept  themselves  separate 
from  them,  we  did  expect  as  our  Query  was  known  that 
they  would  have  considered  at  their  next  meeting  of  Busi- 
ness and  must  confess  we  were  much  surprised  to  find  that 
our  Query  was  totally  omited  in  their  Minute  to  us  in 
which  they  have  only  answered  that  which  we  had  before 
let  many  of  the  Brethren  know  we  never  did  ask  being 
satisfyed  already  in  that  Point  both  from  the  Scriptures 
and  the  former  practice  of  our  Church  but  as  we  have  not 
the  Vanity  expect  we  can  say  anything  that  will  convince 
some  of  our  Brethren  who  we  hear  are  of  Mr.  Turnors 
opinion  we  shall  only  say  that  his  Sentiments  are  not  ours 
tho'  we  see  them  expresed  in  your  Minutes  we  are  now 
under  the  disagreeable  Necessity  of  informing  our  Brethren 
in  this  publick  manner  that  our  Query  was  this.  We  know 
our  former  Rights  and  we  beg  to  know  who  had  a  Right  to 
deprive  us  of  them  as  you  say  in  your  Minutes,  nor  do  we 
know  that  this  Church  or  any  of  us  have  done  anything  to 
deprive  the  sisters  of  such  a  practice  be  it  a  right  or  a  cus- 
tom except  omission  on  a  late  occasion  we  deemed  such 
w^hich  we  justify  we  must  confess  our  ignorance  of  these 
words.  On  a  late  occasion.  Tis  now  about  two  years  and  a 
half  since  our  brothers  Westcott,  Davis,  and  Levering  were 
chosen  deacons,  and,  you  may  remember,  contrary  to  all 
our  common  rules  of  voting  in  that  church.  Mr.  Edwards 
asked  in  particular  the  opinion  of  each  brother,  without 
seeming  to  distinguish  the  sisters  then  present  from  the 
most  senseless  of  beings,  the  first  instance  this  we  ever 
knew  of  sisters  being  treated  with  such  contempt  in  that 


BI-CEN'J'ENNIAL    CELEBRATION.  153 

church,  Since  which  time  we  have  heard  of  many  particu- 
lars in  which,  according  to  the  former  rules  of  our  baptist 
church  sisters  had  a  right  of  giving  their  suffrage  or  dis- 
approbation in  all  which  they  have  been  totally  omitted. 
We  do  assure  the  brethren  we  will  not  attempt  to  teach  or 
usurp  any  authority  in  the  church  of  God;  neither  would 
we  be  so  ignorant  as  to  shut  our  eyes  at  all  times,  when 
our  rights,  which  we  never  did  any  thing  to  forfeit,  are 
denied  us.  Suffer  us  to  mention  one  more  sentence  of 
your  Minute  which  is  this  '  Wc  purpose  to  invite  them  zvlien 
any  tiling  is  to  be  transacted  which  to?iches  the  interest  of  their 
souls'  We  hope  you  will  be  so  kind  as  to  explain  these 
sentences  unto  us  who  confess  we  do  not  know  your  mean- 
ing by  them.  As  we  hear  we  are  much  blamed  by  some 
of  our  brethren  for  not  sending  our  complaints  sooner,  we 
must  in  justice  to  ourselves  give  some  reasons  for  defering 
it  so  long,  which  are  these.  When  we  were  omitted  several 
of  the  sisters  spoke  to  Mr.  Edwards,  who  had  omitted  us, 
and  he  told  them  he  did  not  know  that  it  was  the  custom  of 
women  to  vote  in  our  church  he  was  sorry  he  had  given 
offence  but  he  assured  them  he  would  do  all  in  his  power 
to  give  the  sisters  satisfaction,  and  it  should  be  looked  into 
and  settled.  Since  which  promise  we  have  waited  with  all 
due  subordination,  and  should  have  still  waited  longer,  had 
it  not  happened  to  be  mentioned  by  one  of  the  sisters  to 
our  brother  Davis  which  we  knew  nothing  of  till  after  the 
meeting  where  it  was  carried  in.  We  shall  be  very  glad  if 
our  brethren  will  consider  seriously  of  these  particulars, 
and  we  can  say  with  sincerity  we  wish  to  see  every  branch 
of  our  church  reunited  in  the  sacred  bands  of  christian 
friendship  and  peace.  Signed  in  behalf  of  the  sisters, 
"  Johanna  Anthony.  May  4,  1764." 

"  It  was  asked  whether  the  women  should  be  allowed  to 
give  their  suffrace  as  heretofore  or  in  some  other  manner. 
For  the  question  1 2,  Against  it  4.  the  four  were  not  against 
the  thing  but  the  manner." 

Notwithstanding  this  very  spirited  reply,  while  on  June 
2d  four  women  and  eighteen  men  were  present,  the  former 
seem   to  have  taken   no   part   in   the  proceedings  ;  and  on 


154  FIRST  BAPTIST  CHURCH. 

June  30tli,  the  next  meeting,  there  were  no  women  pres- 
ent, nor  do  we  find  a  record  of  their  presence  for  three 
years  afterward. 

This  prejudice  against  women  taking  any  part  in  church 
affairs,  other  than  religious,  probably  accounts  for  a  quaint 
statement  given  in  Morgan  Edwards'  "  Materials,"  pages 
1 15  to  121.  In  1706  a  young  woman  who  had  some  trouble 
with  her  hip-joint  was  alleged  to  have  been  cured  by  laying 
on  of  hands  and  prayer.  A  committee  of  fifteen  men  and 
eight  women  was  appointed  to  investigate  her  case,  and 
at  the  end  of  the  report  is  this  postscript :  "  N.  B. — The 
reason  why  we,  the  sisters,  have  signed  this,  is,  because 
we  have  more  narrowly  searched  her  as  to  the  hip." 

Small  Affairs. — Very  small  affairs,  especially  in  the  early 
days,  occupied  the  attention  of  the  whole  church,  which  in 
the  present  day  would  be  settled  by  one  of  the  committees 
of  the  trustees  alone.  It  was  a  time  when,  as  with  the 
Vicar  of  Wakefield,  "  all  their  adventures  were  by  the  fire- 
side and  all  their  migrations  from  the  blue  bed  to  the 
brown."  For  example,  in  1762  the  clerk  was  ordered  to 
buy  a  "  Minute  Book  of  six  quires  of  paper,"  and  at  another 
time  it  was  ordered  that  Mr.  Edwards  should  "bespeak 
a  case  of  pigeon  holes  for  holding  the  books  and  papers 
belonging  to  the  church." 

October  5,  1789: 

"  Brother  McLeod  presents  the  church  with  a  Settee  to 
be  placed  under  the  pulpit,  and  brother  Ustick  is  requested 
to  return  the  Church's  thanks  to  brother  McLeod  for  so 
handsome  an  accommodation." 

Poverty. — Their  poverty  is  also  manifested  during  the 
trials  of  the  Revolution  by  a  Minute  of  November  6,  1779, 
when  "  Joseph  Watkins  is  desired  to  get  the  broken  panes 
of  the  Baptist  Church  filled  up  with  boards." 

Lighting  the  Church. — The  matter  of  lighting  the  church 
was  a  very  serious  one.     Of  course,  all  lighting  was  by  can- 


BI-CENTENNIAL    CELEBRATION.  155 

dies  at  first,  as  we  find,  for  instance,  on  November  5,  1792, 
a  committee  was  appointed  to  procure  "  two  branches  "  for 
the  pulpit  and  various  "  sconces."  But  things  moved  slowly 
in  those  days,  for  the  committee  took  from  November  5, 
1792,  to  June  2,  1794,  when  they  finally  reported  that  they 
had  completed  their  task  at  a  cost  of  ^^14  15s. 

In  1 8 19  a  committee  presented  an  elaborate  report  on 
the  desirability  of  lamps  as  a  successor  to  candles,  and 
after  counting  up  the  cost  of  candles  by  the  box  instead  of 
the  pound,  as  they  at  one  time  bought  them,  and  the  cost 
of  the  lamps,  oil,  and  wicks,  they  show  that  it  would  save 
^19.35  a  year,  and  by  the  additional  light  would  supersede 
the  necessity  of  "  parsing  out  the  hymns."  Much  objec- 
tion, however,  was  made  to  the  lamps,  inasmuch  as  it  was 
stated  that  in  certain  churches  where  oil  had  been  adopted 
the  oil  leaked  upon  the  people.  The  amicable  fight 
lasted  from  the  beginning  of  18 19  until  1822,  when  lamps 
won  a  partial  victory.  It  was  then  resolved  to  place  one 
lamp  in  the  north  aisle  so  that  all  could  see  and  judge. 
So  favorable  was  the  impression  that  on  March  4th  four 
lamps  were  ordered,  and  in  1824,  five  years  after  the  dis- 
cussion began,  candles  were  of  the  past. 

On  Christmas  Day,  1837,  at  a  meeting  of  the  Trustees  a 
committee  was  appointed  to  consider  the  advisability  of 
replacing  oil  with  gas,  and  it  was  ordered  to  be  introduced 
July  15,  1839.  It  is  only  within  the  past  year  that  gas  in 
turn  has  given  way,  partially  at  least,  to  electricity. 

Heating  the  Church. — On  January  25,  1824,  a  committee 
was  appointed  to  inquire  into  the  expediency  of  heating 
the  ichurch  by  coal.  Before  that  the  church  had  been 
heated  by  large  tin-plate  wood  stoves.  Moreover,  the 
floors  were  uncarpeted.and  were  sanded  twice  each  month. 
Carpets  are  first  noted  in  the  Minutes  in  1829,  but  they 
were  probably  used  much  earlier. 

Imposition  of  Hands. — But  not  only  in  matters  temporal 


156  FIRST  BAPTIST  CIJURCfL 

were  minor  points  made  much  of,  but  in  the  realm  s{)iritual 
also.  As  early  as  1652,  thirteen  years  after  it  was  founded, 
the  First  Church  of  Providence  made  the  "  laying  on  of 
hands"  a  condition  of  communion,  and  in  1731-32  even 
communion  in  prayer  with  those  who  had  not  "  passed 
under  hands  "  was  made  a  matter  of  discipline.  So  far  did 
this  go  that  the  one  difference  between  the  so-called  Six 
Principle  Baptists  and  the  Five  Principle  Baptists — the  Lay- 
ing on  of  Hands — led  to  the  formation  of  the  Welsh  Tract 
Church  in  1701.  In  that  year  a  "  church  emigrant,"  as 
Morgan  Edwards  calls  them,  came  over  from  Wales  and 
settled  near  Pennepek,  but  in  consequence  of  the  imposi- 
tion of  hands  not  being  observed  by  the  brethren  of  Pen- 
nepek, the  orthodox  Welshmen  pulled  up  stakes,  moved 
in  a  body  to  Delaware,  purchased  30,000  acres  of  ground, 
and  from  that  time  to  this  the  church  has  been  known  as 
the  "  Welsh  Tract  "  Church. 

In  our  own  church  the  imposition  of  hands  was  the  rule, 
but  was  not  obligatory  in  the  early  days.  The  Philadel- 
phia Confession  of  Faith  added  to  the  Century  Confession 
an  article  on  "  Laying  on  of  Hands"  (chap,  xxxi),  which 
if  followed  to-day  would  make  the  rite  compulsory.  It 
says : 

"  We  believe  that  laying  on  of  Hands  (with  prayer) 
upon  baptized  Believers,  as  such,  is  an  Ordinance  of  Christ, 
and  ought  to  be  submitted  unto  by  all  such  Persons  that 
are  admitted  to  Partake  of  the  Lord's  Supper." 

Indeed,  so  rigidly  was  this  adhered  to  that  in  1729  the 
"  church  at  Philadelphia"  sent  the  following  query  to  the 
Association  : 

"  Suppose  a  gifted  brother  who  is  esteemed  an  orderly 
minister  by  or  among  those  that  are  against  the  laying  on 
of  hands  in  any  respect  should  happen  to  come  among  our 
church,  whether  we  may  allow  such  an  one  to  administer 
the  ordinances  of  baptism  and  the  Lord's  Supper,  or  no  ? 


BI-CENTENNIAL    CELEBRATION.  157 

Answered  in  the  negative  ;  because  it  is  contrary  to  the 
rule  of  God's  word  ;  see  Acts  xiii  :  2,  3  and  xiv:  23,  com- 
pared with  Titus  i  :  5  and  Timothy  iv  :  14,  from  which  pre- 
scribed rules  we  dare  not  swerve." 

In  1783  the  Association  had  become  more  Hberal  in 
interpreting  their  own  article,  for  I  find  that  they  replied 
to  the  question  whether  the  laying  on  of  hands  is  an  ordi- 
nance of  the  gospel  to  be  administered  to  all  baptized  per- 
sons, or  only  in  particular  cases  : 

"  We  observe  that  imposition  of  hands  on  baptized  per- 
sons has  been  the  general  practice  of  the  churches  in 
union  with  this  Association,  and  is  still  used  by  most  of 
them,  but  it  was  never  considered  by  the  Association  as  a 
bar  to  communion.  Resolved,  that  any  persons  scrupling 
to  submit  thereto  may  be  admitted  to  the  fellowship  of  the 
church  without  it." 

Not  uncommonly,  however,  as  in  1770,  in  the  case  of 
William  Rogers,  persons  were  received  into  our  church  by 
laying  on  of  hands  and  prayer.  It  has  been  our  custom 
in  the  ordination  of  deacons  up  to  the  present  time,  but  no 
stress  is  laid  upon  it. 

Ordination  of  Deacons. — It  is  interesting  to  observe  in 
the  records  of  December  10,  1763,  that  the  full  formula  for 
this  ordination  of  deacons  is  given  as  follows: 

"Dec  10,  1763.  The  church  met  this  day,  by  way  of 
preparation  for  celebrating  the  Lord's  Supper  on  the  mor- 
row :  and  to  ordain  deacons — The  meeting  began  with 
prayer  from  the  desk  suitable  to  both  designs  of  the  meet- 
ing— Then  was  delivered  a  dissertation  on  the  office  of  a 
deacon,  his  qualifications  and  duty,  the  manner  of  his  elec- 
tion, and  instalment  in  the  office — Then  the  deacons  elect 
viz  Joseph  Moulder,  Joseph  Watkins  and  Samuel  Miles 
were  brought  to  the  administrator;  who  laid  his  hands  on 
each;  and  prayed  in  the  following  words.  '  In  the  name 
of  the  Lord  Jesus,  and  according  to  the  practice  of  his 
apostles  towards  persons  chosen  to  the  deaconship    I   lay 


158  FIRST  BAPTIST  CHURCH. 

hands  on  you  my  brother,  whereby  you  are  constituted  or 
ordained  a  deacon  of  this  church  ;  installed  in  the  office, 
and  appointed  and  impovvered  to  collect  and  receive  her 
revenues ;  and  to  dispose  thereof  in  providing  for,  and 
serving  the  Lord's-table;  and  providing  for  the  table  of  the 
minister  and  the  poor ;  and  in  transacting  other  temporal 
affairs  of  the  church,  that  the  minister  may  not  be  detered 
from  the  ministry  of  the  word  and  prayer,  nor  those  con- 
cerns of  the  family  of  faith  neglected.  In  the  use  of  which 
rite  of  imposition  of  hands,  I  pray — that  God  will  confirm 
in  heaven  what  we  do  on  earth ;  and  receive  you  into  the 
number  of  them  who  minister  to  him  in  the  civil  affairs  of 
his  sanctuary — That  he  will  fill  you  more  and  more  with 
the  holy  Ghost,  wisdom  and  honesty;  that  by  using  the 
office  of  a  deacon  well  you  may  purchase  to  yourself  a  good 
degree,  and  great  boldness  in  the  faith  ;  even  so  Lord 
Jesus.  Amen.'  When  each  had  been  ordained  they  stood 
up  from  kneeling,  and  were  addressed  by  the  minister  in 
the  following  manner.  '  We  give  you  the  right  hand  of 
fellowship  in  token  that  we  acknowledge  you  for  our  dea- 
con ;  and  to  express  our  congratulations  and  good  wishes.'  " 

It  is  curious  to  note  that  the  early  deacons  were  chosen 
"  on  trial,"  as  in  a  Minute,  January  16,  1758,  Henry  Wood- 
row  was  chosen  elder  on  trial  and  Joshua  Moore  deacon 
on  trial.  Moreover,  before  the  present  century,  and  even 
probably  nmch  later,  the  deacons  had  exclusive  charge  of 
the  temporal  affairs  of  the  church  as  well  as  of  the  spir- 
itual, as  is  seen  in  the  form  of  ordination. 

Ruling  Elders. — I  can  scarcely  give  the  precise  province 
of  "  ruling  elders,"  but  they  seem  to  have  had  higher 
authority  than  the  deacons  ;  they  were  chosen  not  only  in 
our  own  church,  but  in  many  others.  The  first  notice 
found  in  our  records  as  to  ruling  elders  is  in  a  Minute  for 
July  7,  1766. 

"  Pursuant  to  an  agreement  of  the  church  relative  to 
ruling  elders  dated  Apr.  6  the  church  met  on  May  loth 
following  for  their  election  which  was  done  by  ballotting, 
when  the  lots  fell   on   Isaac   Jones,  George  Westcott  and 


BI-CENTENNIAL    CELEBRATION.  159 

Sam.  Davis  ;  they  having  accepted  the  office  and  promised 
to  execute  it  to  the  best  of  their  abiUty ;  the  14th  of  June 
was  fixed  upon  for  their  instahment  when  they  were  or- 
dained by  laying  on  of  hands  and  prayer." 

Communion. — In  the  early  history  of  the  Pennepek  Church 
the  communion  was  administered  quarterly  in  Burlington, 
Cohansey,  Chester,  and  Philadelphia.  Later  (but  at  what 
period  I  have  been  unable  to  ascertain),  owing  to  the  fact 
that  we  were  a  branch  of  Pennepek,  the  pastor  held  the 
communion  service  at  Pennepek  on  the  first  Sunday  of  the 
month,  and  in  Philadelphia  on  the  second  Sunday.  This 
continued  a  peculiarity  of  our  church  until  April  14,  1873, 
when  by  a  vote  of  the  church  the  communion  service  was 
changed  to  the  first  Sunday.  I  have  always  regretted  the 
change  as  obliterating  a  distinctive  historical  peculiarity  of 
our  church,  though  more  convenient  in  other  ways. 

Two  other  peculiarities  of  our  church  I  hope  will  not  be 
discarded.  We  hold  no  "  Watch  Meeting  "  to  watch  the 
old  year  out,  but  at  8  a.m.  on  New  Year's  morning  we  meet 
for  an  hour  of  prayer,  which  ushers  in  the  New  Year.  Our 
church  "  Motto  "  for  the  New  Year  (a  text  of  Scripture) 
hangs  above  the  Pastor's  chair  for  the  first  time.  While  all 
present  reverently  rise  and  remain  standing  in  honor  of 
the  sainted  dead,  the  Pastor  reads  the  church  necrology 
for  the  year,  using  the  following  formula  : 

"  Members  of  the  First  Baptist  Church  in  Philadelphia 
will  rise,  and  remain  standing,  while  we  offer  our  mortuary 
tribute : 

"  Fallen  asleep  during  the  year  18 —  the  following  mem- 
bers of  the  First  Baptist  Church  in  Philadelphia  (reading 
the  list  chronologically). 

"  Forgetting  the  things  wherein  they  may  have  failed 
and  gratefully  remembering  the  many  things  wherein  by 
Divine  Grace  they  triumphed,  we,  their  fellow-pilgrims  in 
the  King's  highway  to  the  City  of  the  Foundations,  halt 
for  a  moment,  that,  as  we   pass  the  milestone   of  another 


i6o  FIRST  BAPTIST  CHURCH. 

year,  we  may  lovingly  and  reverently  recall  the  names 
and  graces  of  these  our  comrades  who  have  preceded  us 
into  the  promised  Rest.  Let  us  not  then  sorrow  as  those 
do  who  have  no  hope.  For  if  we  believe  that  Jesus  died  and 
rose  again,  so  also  those  who  fell  asleep  through  Jesus 
will  God  bring  with  Him.  So  then  comfort  one  another 
with  these  words." 

Then,  while  still  standing,  the  church  sings  either — 

"  Asleep  in  Jesus,  blessed  sleep." 
or 

"  Come,  let  us  join  our  friends  above." 

At  the  conclusion  of  the  service  the  Pastor  shakes  the 
hand  of  every  one  present,  and  gives  each  a  card  on  which 
is  printed  the  "  Pastor's  New  Year's  wish  for  his  People." 

At  3  p.  M.  on  Good  Friday  we  for  many  years  have  held 
a   service  of  commemoration  and  consecration. 

Both  of  these  customs  we  owe  to  Dr.  Boardman. 

It  may  be  an  interesting  memorandum  that  it  was  Dr. 
Boardman's  custom  when  pastor  of  our  church  to  note  the 
death  of  any  illustrious  citizen  (on  either  side  of  the 
Atlantic)  in  the  following  way  :  The  audience  were  re- 
quested to  rise  and  remain  standing  while  he  read  his 
tribute.  Thus  we  paid  tribute,  for  example,  to  Martin  B. 
Anderson,  Phillips  Brooks,  Stephen  A.  Caldwell,  George 
W.  Childs,  James  A.  Garfield,  William  E.  Gladstone, 
Ulysses  S.  Grant,  Abraham  Lincoln,  Robert  W.  McCall, 
Alfred  Tennyson,  etc. 

During  the  eighteenth  century  I  find  very  frequently  in 
the  Minutes  a  vote  to  admit  certain  persons  to  "  transient 
communion,"  in  case  of  persons  making  a  visit  to  the  city 
for  a  longer  or  shorter  time.  This  was  a  very  common 
practice  among  the  Baptist  churches,  marking  the  inde- 
pendence of  each  church,  and  that  the  communion  was 
strictly  the  service  of  the  individual  church.     Manning,' 

1  Benedict,  "Gen.  Hist,  of  the  Baptist  Denomination,"  etc.,  vol.  i,  p.  479. 


BI-CRNTEXNIAL    CELEBRATION.  i6i 

when  President  of  Brown  University,  then  estabHshed  in 
the  town  of  Warren,  R.  I.,  visited  Providence  in  1770,  and, 
without  a  vote  of  the  church,  was  invited  by  the  minister 
to  partake  of  the  communion.  Such  a  vote  was  passed 
later,  but  a  number  of  members  were  still  dissatisfied,  for 
the  reason  that  Manning  "  did  not  make  the  imposition  of 
hands  a  bar  to  communion,  though  he  himself  received  it 
and  administered  it  to  those  who  desired  it."  In  addition 
to  that,  there  was  much  opposition  because  he  "  held  to 
singing  in  public  worship." 

It  is  extraordinary  to  see  the  scrupulosity  of  some  persons 
in  those  early  days,  as,  for  example,  one  of  the  questions 
presented  to  the  Philadelphia  Association  in  1735  was 
what  should  be  done  "  if  members  of  the  church  grow 
scrupulous  about  matters  morally  indifferent  to  themselves, 
such  as  .  .  .  the  manner  of  serving  the  communion, 
the  cup  upon  a  plate  or  without,  and  refrained  from  the 
communion."  The  Association's  sensible  answer  was, 
"  The  church  was  in  no  wise  obliged  to  yield  to  such  vain 
humors." 

If  the  fathers  had  been  equally  scrupulous  in  the  matter 
of  manners  it  would  have  been  more  to  the  credit  of  the 
church;  for  I  find  in  our  Minutes  of  June  9,  1758,  the  fol- 
lowing recorded  with  what  would  now  be  called  brutal 
frankness,  but  was  then  characteristic  of  the  times.  It  will 
be  observed  that  several  allusions  to  "  meetings  for  prepa- 
ration "  have  been  already  met  with.  This  was  a  service  at 
3  p.  M.  on  the  Saturday  preceding  the  communion  Sunday. 
Its  sanctifying  influence  seems  to  have  been  very  short- 
lived in  this  instance. 

"  When  meeting  of  preparation  was  over,  and  the  meet- 
ing of  business  going  to  be  concluded  by  prayer,  M"" 
Woodrow  stopt  M''  T.  Davis  hands  in  order  to  propose 
that  a  meeting  of  business  should  be  appointed  by  itself. 
This  was  seconded  by  J.  Perkins,  L.  Rees  and  some  women 
II 


i62  FIRSl-  BAPTIST  CHURCH. 

very  strenuously.  Then  M''  Jones,  M""  Branson,  M""  J. 
L.  and  others  went  out.  Upon  which  John  Perkins  locked 
the  door — S.  Burkiloe  asked  If  they  were  going  to  be  made 
prisoners  of?  S.  Morgan  made  towards  the  window  in 
order  to  go  out,  and  call  a  constable.  J.  Powell  prevented 
him.  M""'  Shewell  snatched  the  key  from  Perkins  and 
opened  the  door.  Then  M""  Woodrow  remonstrated  with 
S.  Morgan  for  his  arbitrary  proceedings  ;  and  bickerings 
ensued — T.  Davis  made  as  tho'  he  would  conclude  the 
meeting  with  prayer.  Lewis  Rees  stayed  him  till  the  meet- 
ing of  business  should  be  agreed  on,  adding,  to  Tho.  Davis, 
that  he  was  the  cause  of  much  mischief — Davis  leaves 
them.  They  propose  to  put  the  motion  to  the  vote.  Mor- 
gan goes  out  to  bring  M""  Jones  and  M'"  Davis  in.  They 
come  and  put  an  end  to  the  meeting,  but  not  before  the 
23rd  day  had  been  fixed  on,  during  their  absence.  The 
next  day  S.  Morgan  refused  to  give  the  bread  and  wine  to 
H.  Woodrow,  L.  Rees  and  M'"''  Woodrow.  But  H.  Wood- 
row  snatched  the  bread." 

Happily  we  may  add,  "  Tcvipora  viutcmtur  ct  nos  niiita- 
rnur  in  Hits." 

On  November  6,  1762,  I  find  a  Minute  to  the  effect  that 
each  member  was  required  to  deposit  a  ticket  at  each  com- 
munion, "that  it  maybe  known  who  are  absent  that  an 
enquiry  be  made  after  them."  A  frequent  form  of  milder 
ecclesiastical  punishment  was  to"  suspend"  offenders  from 
the  communion  for  several  months, and  when  the  offending 
member  had  amended  his  life  he  was  restored  by  vote  to 
the  privilege. 

Our  communion  plate  consists  of  the  silver  chalice  for 
which  Jenkin  Jones  left  the  legacy  of  £2^  in  1760  (p.  41). 
On  July  3,  1762,  the  Minutes  direct  that  this  legacy  should 
be  applied  to  the  purchase  of  a  communion  chalice,  and 
that,  should  it  cost  more,  "  the  old  silver  cup  (now  belong- 
ing to  the  meeting)  should  be  sold  to  help  paying  for  the 
new."  I  suspect  that  the  silversmiths  of  those  days  were 
not  more   generous   than  those  of  to-day,  for  the  chalice 


BICENTENNIAL    CELEBKA  TION. 


i6i 


(Fig.  44)  cost  not  only  the  ^^25  and  the  "  old  silver  cup," 
but  £\2  17s.  3d.  in  addition.' 

Four  old  pewter  plates  (Fig.  45)  bear  the  inscription  : 

"  Baptist  CJmrcJi  PJiUadelphia 

I75J-' 

These  pewter  plates  have  been  regularly  used  each  com- 
munion Sabbath  for  one    hundred  and   forty-eight  years, 


Fig.  44.— Silver  Communion  Chalice. 


and,  as  historic  relics,  are  esteemed  even  more  highly  than 
their  more  pretentious  silver  companions. 

On  October  6,  1794.  "two  silver  pint  canns  "  (Fig.'46) 

1  Minutes,  Dec.  4,  1762. 


164 


FIRST  BAPTIST  CIIUNCII. 


were  bought  for  use  at  the  communion  at  a  cost  of  ;^20, 
and  were  to  be  engraved  : 

"  Tlic  particular 
Baptist  C/iiirc/i 

of 
Philada., 

i7Q4r 

The  salvers  on  which  tliey  are  served  are  engraved  : 

"  Belonging  to  tJic  First  Baptist  CliurcJi  of  Philadelphia, 


Fig.  45. — Pewtkr  Communion  Plate. 


This  is  the  earHest  designation  of  our  church  as  the  First 
Baptist  Church.  These  also,  with  four  other  cups,  and  two 
other  silver  salvers  subsequently  purchased,  are  still  in  use. 
The  amenities  of  life,  however,  were  more  considered  in 
later  days,  for  I  find  on  January  ii,  18 11,  but  only  after 
several  months'  discussion  :  "  It  was  resolved  that  a  collec- 


B  I-  CENTENNIA  L    CE  L  E  B  RA  TION. 


165 


tion  for  the  use  of  the  poor  members  of  this  church  be 
made  monthly  immediately  after  the  hymn  is  sung  at  the 
conclusion  of  the  administration  of  the  Lord's  Supper." 

In  1838  the  aged  members  were  directed  "  to  be  con- 
veyed from  the  Widows'  Asylum  in  order  that  they  might 
have  the  privilege  of  the  communion." 

Baptism. — In  Morgan  Edwards'  "  Materials"  is  a  picture 
of  what  was  called  in  his  day  the  "  Baptisterioii"  (Fig.  47). 
This  was  a  lot  at  what  is  now  Spruce  Street  wharf  on  the 
Schuylkill,  and  extended  from  the  present  Twenty-fifth 
(then  Willow)  Street  down  to  the  river.     It  was  a  beautiful 


Fig.  46.— Silver  Communion  Cup  and  Sai.ver. 


spot,  covered  with  large  oaks,  which  were  cut  down  by  the 
British  during  their  occupation  of  Philadelphia.  Edwards 
describes  it  (Appendix  N)  as  being  "about  a  mile  and  a 
half  out  of  Philadelphia.  .  .  .  Under  foot  is  a  green, 
variegated  with  wild  flowers  and  aromatic  herbs."  In  the 
midst  of  this  spot  was  a  large  stone,  rising  about  three  feet 
above  the  ground,  upon  which  the  minister  stood,  and 
Edwards  says:  "  I  once  reckoned  there  32  carriages  and 
have  often  seen  present  from  100  to  looo  people,  all 
behaving  much  better  than  in  some  other  places."  A 
small  building  had  been  erected  before  1770,  which  the 
candidates  used  for  dressine. 


FIRST  BAPTIST  CHURCH. 


Our  church  seems  to  have  occupied  the  place  by  a  sort 
of  "squatter  sovereignty,"  for  through  the  kindness  of  Mr. 


-2  S? 

A) 


M 


O 


F.  W.  Weightman,  who  has  examined  the  deeds  for  me,  I 
find  that  the  Supreme  Executive  Council  of  Pennsylvania, 


BI-CENTENNIAL    CELEBRATION.  167 

on  June  15,  1782,  deeded  the  property  on  the  southwest 
corner  of  Twenty-fifth  (then  Willow)  and  Spruce  Streets, 
107  feet  on  Spruce  Street,  and  extending  down  to  low- 
water  mark  on  the  Schuylkill  River,  to  Thomas  Sheilds,  a 
member  of  our  church.'      He  bought  it — 

"  At  the  special  instance  and  by  the  direction  of  the  church 
and  with  their  moneys  for  a  place  of  worship  and  the 
administration  of  the  ordinance  of  Baptism  according  to 
the  Tenats  and  Rules  of  the  said  Religious  Society." 

May  7  and  August  5,  1782,  the  church  appointed  Trus- 
tees for  the  property,  to  whom  Thomas  Sheilds  transferred 
it  September  6,  1784. 

Before  1770  the  church  had  erected  the  building  above 
mentioned,  for  it  is  described  by  Morgan  Edwards  in  that 
year,  and  pictured  in  his  book  (Fig.  47).  They  evidently 
used  the  lot  without  any  legal  authority,  but  without  objec- 
tion, since  it  was  then  only  waste  land. 

The  later  history  of  the  property  is  involved  in  the  con- 
troversy with  the  Spruce  Street  Church  already  related, 
and  it  was  used  as  a  means  of  partial  payment  of  the 
amount  agreed  to  be  paid  the  Spruce  Street  Church  in 
1835  (p.  96).  As  the  title  was  in  dispute  between  the  two 
churches,  both  claiming  to  be  the  First  Church,  in  order 
to  make  a  clear  title,  on  March  11,  185  i,  our  church  con- 
veyed it  to  William  Bucknell,  Jr.  (a  member  of  the  Spruce 
Street  Church),  for  $4000,  subject  to  a  mortgage  of  $5000, 
and  on  March  12th  William  Bucknell,  Jr.,  deeded  it  back  to 
John  C.  Davis  (a  member  of  our  church),  promissory  notes 
for  ^4000  being  given  in  payment  for  it.  March  28,  1863, 
it  was  finally  sold  to  Samuel  Cattell  for  the  Knickerbocker 
Ice  Company. 

These  various  conveyances  explain  what  at  first  puzzled 
me  greatly — the  statement  in  the  Minutes  that  in  185  i  the 

1  "Deed   Book  56,"   p.    334,  May  2,    1796. 


1 68  FIRST  BAPTIST  CHURCH. 

lot  was  sold  to  the  Spruce  Street  Church,  and  yet  leases  of 
the  lot  appear  on  our  Minutes  again  and  again  for  years 
afterward. 

This  Schuylkill  lot  and  the  "  Schuylkill  Branch  "  must 
not  be  confounded.  The  latter  was  a  mission,  which  was 
organized  February  12,  1843,  though  from  "Mary  Hall- 
man's  Life "  (pp.  38-93),  and  a  printed  report  in  our 
archives,  a  school  had  been  organized  there,  and  as  early 
as  1832  had  136  children  in  it.  The  mission  rented  the 
Presbyterian  Church  at  the  corner  of  Ashton  and  Lombard 
Streets.  Its  Minute  books  exist  in  our  archives,  and  cover 
the  whole  time  until  January  22,  1854,  when  the  mission 
was  abandoned,  after  doing  an  excellent  work. 

This  "  Baptisterion  "  was  used  not  only  by  our  church, 
but  Edwards  especially  states  "  that  a  late  clergyman  of  the 
Church  of  England  was  wont  to  make  this  river  his  bap- 
tisterion." It  was  used  also  by  other  Baptist  churches, 
including,  by  a  special  vote  (September  9,  1816),  the  Col- 
ored Church.  The  hours  of  baptism  seem  to  have  varied, 
and  to  have  been  fixed  for  each  special  occasion.  It  was 
sometimes  as  early  as  6  and  7  a.  m.  in  summer,  very  com- 
monly at  9  and  1 1  a.  m.  and  3  or  4  p.  m.,  and  almost  always 
on  weekdays.  A  Minute  of  April  7,  1817,  states  that 
certain  candidates  should  be  received  "  after  baptism  to  be 
administered  Saturday  next  at  10  p.  m."  I  can  not  think 
that  this  is  other  than  a  clerical  error  for  "10  A.  M." 

But  about  1830  this  "  baptisterion"  seems  to  have  been 
given  up,  and  the  ordinance  was  administered  at  Cooper's 
Point,  Camden,  and  on  Sunday.  The  minister,  the  candi- 
dates, and  the  congregation  marched  from  the  old  church 
on  Lagrange  Place,  in  procession,  to  Arch  Street  wharf, 
where  they  took  a  ferry-boat.  As  late,  however,  as  1841  I 
find  that  some  candidates  were  baptized  in  the  Schuylkill 
at  the  United  States  Arsenal,  and  this  was  two  years  after 
a  baptistery  had  been  built  in  the  church  itself. 


BI-CENTENNIAL    CELEBRATION.  169 

On  February  16,  1836,  a  committee  was  raised  to  con- 
sider the  subject  of  providing  a  common  baptistery  for  the 
use  of  all  the  Baptist  churches  "  in  the  city  and  the  Liber- 
ties," and  in  case  of  failure,  to  consider  the  question  of 
providing  a  baptistery  in  or  near  the  church. 

On  January  5th  of  the  same  year  I  am  happy  to  say  that, 
after  the  difficulties  with  the  Spruce  Street  Church  had  been 
arranged,  the  use  of  the  baptistery  recently  built  in  their 
new  church  was  requested,  and  was  cheerfully  granted.  On 
January  loth  one  of  the  candidates,  having  been  meantime 
baptized  in  this  baptistery,  was  received ;  the  other,  a 
woman,  having  declined  the  use  of  the  baptistery,  had  not 
yet  been  baptized,  the  administration  of  the  ordinance 
having  been  deferred  on  account  of  a  severe  snow-storm. 
Among  our  papers  I  found  a  receipt  for  ^3.00  "  for  clear- 
ing ice  for  baptism,"  dated  February  12,  1835.  So  great 
was  the  aversion  on  the  part  of  many  to  the  baptistery,  that 
for  a  number  of  years  the  candidates,  after  relating  their 
experience,  were  desired  to  state  their  preference,  whether 
they  would  be  baptized  in  the  river  or  in  the  baptistery. 

On  September  12,  1836,  a  committee  reported  in  favor 
of  erecting  a  baptistery  in  the  burying-ground,  and  presented 
plans  for  that  drawn  by  Thomas  U.  Walter,  the  architect 
of  the  Capitol  at  Washington.  He  was  named  after  our 
former  pastor,  Thomas  Ustick,  and  was  the  son  of  Joseph  S. 
Walter,  then  of  the  Spruce  Street  Church.  But  the  follow- 
ing week  the  project  was  defeated  by  a  vote  of  34  to  44. 
Finally,  on  January  14,  1839,  a  baptistery  was  ordered  to 
be  built  in  the  church  by  a  vote  of  70  to  28. 

Independence  of  Ministej's. — The  ministers  asserted  their 
independence  occasionally  in  a  somewhat  marked  manner. 
For  instance,  in  18 16,  the  church  "  being  stopped  and  con- 
vened" before  the  communion,  Dr.  Holcombe  reported  that 
on  the  previous  day  he  had  baptized  my  uncle,  Joseph  Keen, 
Jr.,  who  then  immediately  related  his  experience  and  was 


lyo  FIRST  BAPTISr   CllUKCJL 

received.  This  was  not  the  only  case  in  which  the  clergyman 
asserted  his  prerogative  of  baptizing  a  candidate  without 
consulting  the  church,  for  the  same  course  had  been  fol- 
lowed on  October  17,  181 2,  in  the  case  of  Thomas  Stewart. 

While  in  emergencies  this  may  be  justified,  yet  to  make 
it  a  rule  would  be  unfortunate.  Indeed,  so  long  before  as 
1763  this  practice  of  our  church  had  been  considered  by 
the  Philadelphia  Association,  and  they  "  all  allowed  that 
this  may  be,  and  in  some  cases  must  be  ;  but  that  the  other 
practice  was  more  expedient." 

The  church  also  asserted  its  rights  as  an  independent 
church  on  October  15,  1815,  when  a  Brother  Wiley  desir- 
ing to  go  the  next  day,  Monday,  to  New  Orleans  to 
preach,  and  wishing  to  be  ordained,  the  church  voted  in 
favor  of  it  without  calling  any  council  to  advise  with  them, 
and  ordained  him  on  the  same  afternoon. 

Letters  of  Dismission. — In  the  early  days  letters  of  dis- 
mission were  ordered  to  be  drawn  up  in  each  particular 
case  by  the  Pastor,  a  member,  or  a  committee,  but  on  Octo- 
ber 6,  1806,  there  is  a  vote  that  the  pastor,  Dr.  Staughton, 
should  draw  up  a  blank  form  for  such  letters,  a  custom 
followed  ever  since  that  date. 

Burial  Ground. — It  was  the  common  practice  in  the  early 
days  for  each  church  to  have  a  burial  ground  attached  to 
it,  as  is  still  the  custom  in  the  country.  A  large  burial 
ground  lay  to  the  westward  of  the  church  on  Lagrange 
Place,  and  I  find  that  as  late  as  181  i-'i3  there  were  as  many 
as  forty  or  fifty  interments  annually.  It  is  always  called  in 
the  records,  after  the  old  English  idiom,  "  breaking  ground." 

On  June  4,  1763,  just  after  a  new  church  had  been  built, 
it  had  been  voted  that — 

"  Every  person  who  has  subscribed  toward  the  building  of 
the  meeting  house,  or  who  pays  for  a  seat  in  it  shall  be 
buried  in  the  grave  yard  for  one  Dollar,  and  that  none 
other  shall  be  buried  for  less  than  Two  Dollars." 


BI-CENTENNIAL    CELEBRATION.  171 

On  February  13,  1794,  a  committee  was  appointed  to 
inquire  into  a  proposed  law  forbidding  intramural  inter- 
ments. We  can  understand  how  self-interest  might  warp 
their  judgment,  because  I  find  that  in  1788  the  rates  had 
been  raised,  and  were  then  fixed  for  burial  of  pew-owners 
at  10  shillings;  for  strangers,  40  shillings;  and  £\^  for  the 
privilege  of  being  buried  in  the  aisle  of  the  meeting-house. 

On  January  21,  1 799,  it  was  resolved — 

"That  considering  the  Contracted  state  of  the  Burying 
Ground  also  the  expences  of  keeping  it  in  repair,  That  in 
future,  The  Price  of  Breaking  ground  for  Strangers  shall 
be  Sixteen  Dollars  and  the  rate  of  interment  in  the  Aisle 
of  the  Meeting  House  shall  be  Fifty  Dollars." 

Twenty  years  later,  on  January  4,  1819,  the  rates  were 
raised  still  further,  and  it  was  decided  that  the  holding  of 
half  a  pew  entitled  the  whole  family  to  interment,  but 
single  sittings,  only  the  holder — the  price  being  for  pew- 
holders,  ;^3. 50 ;  for  strangers,  ^25.00;  headstones,  $50.00; 
and  for  interment  in  the  aisle,  $500.  In  spite  of  the  fre- 
quent mention  of  rates  for  a  burial  in  the  aisle,  which 
would  presuppose  its  frequency,  Morgan  Edwards  and 
some  of  his  family  are  the  only  persons  whose  burial  in 
the  aisle  I  have  discovered.^ 

1  In  connection  with  burial  in  the  aisle,  the  following  extract  from  an  article 
on  "Ancient  Parish  Life  in  England"  ("The  Nineteenth  Century,"  March, 
1898,  p.  434),  by  Augustus  Jessopp,  is  of  interest : 

"  Another  source  of  revenue  was  the  fees  exacted  by  the  parish  for  the  burial 
of  '  people  of  importance  '  who  desired  to  be  laid  in  the  church  itself.  The 
significance  of  this  must  not  be  passed  over.  It  should  be  remembered  that 
the  surface  of  the  soil  of  the  churchyard  was  part  of  the  parson's  freehold. 
Any  parishioner  had  a  right  of  sepulture  in  God's  acre  ;  but  the  parson  could 
always  claim  his  fee  for  'l)reaking  the  soil,'  and  this  was  a  source  of  income 
to  him.  So  with  the  chancel — that  too  was  the  parson's  freehold  ;  and  for  burial 
there,  in  the  most  holy  part  of  the  church,  very  considerable  fees  were  from 
time  to  time  claimed  and  paid.  But  the  church  itself — /.  <?.,the  nave — was  the 
property  of  the  parish,  and  when  a  local  magnate  specially  desired  to  be 
buried  there,  he,  or'  his  executors,  had  to  make  his  bargain  with  the  church 
wardens,  and  with  them  alone.  This  will  explain  the  following  entries  in  the 
'  Walberswick  Accounts'  (1498)  :  'Received  for  the  soul  of  Sir  Harry  Barbour, 
6s.  8d.';  and  again,  in  1466:  '  Mem.  Nicholas  Browne  granted  to  the 
church  20s.  for  bringing  of  his  wife  in  the  church.  And  a  gravestone  to  be 
laid  upon  the  grave.'  " 


172 


FIRST  BAPTIST  CHURCH. 


In    1828   a  new   scale   of  prices   according   to  age   was 
adopted  as  follows: 

For  an  adult, ^25. 00 

For  a  person  10  to  16  years  of  age, 18.00 

5  to  10  years  of  age 10.00 

I  month  to  5  years  of  age,  ....       5.00 
under  one  month,      3.50 


Fig.  48.— P.-^stors'  Monument   in  Ol'r  Burial  Lot  in  Mt.  Mori.-\h   Ck.metkrv. 

Before  our  burial  lot  was  sold  a  large  lot  was  secured  in 
Mt.    Moriah   Cemetery  (July  11,  1859),   and   the  ashes   of 


BI-  CEN  TENNIA  L    CEL  EB  RA  EI  ON.  1 73 

those  interred  in  Lagrange  Place  were  removed  to  the  new 
lot.  In  October,  1882,  by  the  generous  gift  of  Mrs.  Ann 
D.  Coffin  of  $2000,  a  handsome  granite  Monument  to  our 
Pastors  was  erected  in  the  center  of  the  lot  (Fig.  48).  It 
bears  the  following  inscriptions: 

FRONT  FACE. 
1698-1746. 

In  memory  of  our  pastors. 

Rev.  John  Watts, 
Born,   1661.  Died,  1702. 

Rev.  Evax  Morgan. 
Born,  Died.   1709. 

Rev.  Samuel  Jones, 
Born,   1657.  Died,  1722. 

Rev.  Joseph  Wood, 
Born,  1659.  Died,   1747. 

Rev.  Abel  Morgan. 
Born,  1637.  Died,   1722. 

Pastors  of  Joint  Churches, 
Pennepek  and  Philadelphia. 

SECOND   FACE. 
1746-1883. 

In  memory  of  our  pastors. 

Rev.  Jenkin  Jones, 
Born, 1686.  Died,   1760. 

Rev.  Morgan  Edwards,  A.M.. 
Born,  1722.  Died,  1795. 

Rev.  William  Rogers,  D.D., 
Born,    1751.  Died,  1824. 

Rev.  Elhanan  Winchester, 
Born,   1751.  Died,  1797. 

Rev.  Thomas  Ustick.  A.M., 
Born,   1753.  Died,  1803. 

Rev.  William  Staughton,  D.D., 
Born,   1770.  Died,  1829. 


174  FIRST  BAPTIST  CIILRCII. 

THIRD  FACE. 
1746-1883. 

In  memory  of  our  pastors. 

Rev.  Henry  Holcombe,  D.D., 
Born,  1762.  Died,  1824. 

Rev.  William  T.  15kantlv,  D.D., 
Born,   1787.  Died,  1845. 

Rev.  George  B.  Ide, 
Born,   1804.  Died,  1872. 

Since  the  monument  was  erected  Dr.  Cuthbert  has  died. 

The  length  of  the  pastorate  of  each  pastor  and  brief 
sketches  of  their  Hves  will  be  found  at  the  end  of  this 
address. 

Such  rural  surroundings  as  the  large  churchyard  were 
not  without  an  occasional  disadvantage.  Our  fellow-mem- 
ber, Mrs.  Inglis,  has  told  me  that  she  remembers  on  one 
occasion,  when  the  doors  of  the  church  were  open  in  sum- 
mer, that  a  cock  wandered  from  the  graveyard  into  the 
church,  and  after  a  stately  march  up  the  aisle,  turned 
around  in  front  of  the  pulpit  and  saluted  the  audience  with 
a  lusty  crow. 

Temperance. — It  is  not  uncommonly  found  in  the  old 
records  of  New  England  churches  that  large  quantities  of 
rum  and  other  alcoholic  liquors  were  provided  for  festivals, 
such  as  the  raising  of  a  roof,  meetings  of  ministers,  etc.  I 
think  it  not  a  little  to  the  credit  of  our  church  that  in  a 
careful  review  of  our  written  records  of  nearly  a  century  and 
a  half  I  find  only  one  instance  of  such  use  of  spirits.  This 
occurred  on  September  5,  1768.  In  "an  account  for  mate- 
rials and  work  done  {sic)  at  the  Baptist  Burying  Ground  " 
for  a  committee  of  which  Benjamin  Loxley  was  one,  is  an 
entry  "  for  furnishing  the  workmen  with  -^yl  gallons  of 
rum  at  4  shillings  the  gallon — 14  shillings."  Even  this 
was  done  by  the  contractor  and  not  by  the  church  itself. 
In  fact,  the  church   took  strong  ground  against  the   use 


BI-CENTENNIAL    CELEBRATION.  175 

of  distilled  liquor  at  a  time  when  its  use  was  so  prevalent 
that,  as  I  have  often  heard  my  father  say,  the  sideboard  of 
that  good  old  deacon,  my  grandfather,  was  always  set  out 
with  decanters  and  glasses,  and  that  it  was  considered  a 
breach  of  good  manners  not  to  invite  the  minister  and 
other  friends  to  refresh  themselves. 

In  1788  a  strong  resolution  against  the  use  of  distilled 
liquors,  except  as  medicine,  was  passed.  On  January  5, 
1789,  the  church,  concurring  with  the  Association,  dis- 
couraged the  abuse  of  distilled  and  other  liquors.  A 
Temperance  Society  was  formed  July  21,  1831,  and  reor- 
ganized in  1835.  On  March  14,  1836,  a  resolution  was 
passed  recommending  "  that  no  member  use  or  traffic  in 
ardent  spirits  and  those  who  are  engaged  in  the  traffic 
discontinue  the  same  as  soon  as  it  can  be  done  without 
too  great  sacrifice  on  their  part," — a  resolution  marked 
by  its  good  practical  sense  as  much  as  by  its  high 
morality.  On  July  12,  1841,  a  committee  was  appointed 
to  remonstrate  with  certain  prominent  members  for  traf- 
ficking in  ardent  spirits,  and  on  June  8th  of  the  same 
year  candidates  for  baptism  were  required  to  approve  of 
the  resolution  of  the  church  on  temperance  as  a  condition 
to  being  received  as  members.  The  feeling  ran  so  high 
that  it  was  proposed  that  no  aid  should  be  extended  to 
"members  who  have  drunken  husbands";  but  this  injus- 
tice to  innocent  wives  was  never  carried  out. 

On  February  14,  1842,  the  use  of  unfermented  wine  at 
the  communion  was  discussed  and  referred  to  the  pastors 
and  deacons.  It  was  not,  however,  until  1883  that  fer- 
mented wine  was  discarded.  To  their  credit  be  it  said 
that  this  followed  a  strong  plea  for  unfermented  wine  pre- 
sented by  the  Young  People's  Association,  January  15, 
1883. 

It  is  not  altogether  a  matter  of  wonder  to  one  who  has 
reviewed    the  Minutes  of  the    church   that  it  took    such 


176  FIRST  BAFTJS'J'  CllURCJI. 

strong  ground  against  the  use  of  ardent  spirits.  I  have 
been  both  surprised  and  pained  to  see  how  many  members 
were  excluded  for  being  intoxicated  ;  one  of  them,  a  poor 
man  who  had  been  aided  by  the  deacons  to  the  extent  of 
^i  I  OS.,  was  immediately  suspended  because  he  was  seen 
"  drunk  the  day  after  he  had  received  the  charity  of  the 
church." 

What  is  still  more  painful  and  surprising  is  the  number 
of  women  who  were  suspended  or  excluded  for  intoxica- 
tion. 

ChiircJi  Discipline. — The  form  used  in  the  exclusion  of 
members  was  usually  "  till  it  shall  please  God  to  restore 
them  again  by  repentance."  But  sometimes  instead  of  this 
simple  vote  at  a  church  meeting  the  exclusion  was  pub- 
licly announced  at  the  close  of  the  communion,  and  the 
Pastor  not  only  stated  the  cause  thereof,  but  proceeded  to 
deliver  a  homily  on  the  heinousness  of  the  offense.  On 
only  one  occasion  is  the  odor  of  brimstone  very  marked. 
October  2,  1762,  I  find  the  following  note: 

"  Whereas  John  Taylor  has  now  a  third  time  contra- 
dicted his  baptismal  vows  of  repentance  and  holiness  by 
relapsing  to  the  sin  of  drunkenness;  and  has  moreover, 
absconded  from  his  master  [he  was  evidently  an  apprentice] 
whereby  he  has  defrauded  his  Master  of  about  a  year's 
servitude,  We  hold  ourselves  bound  to  cut  him  off  from 
the  Church,  erase  his  name  out  of  the  church  book,  and 
deliver  him  up  to  Satan  for  the  destruction  of  the  flesh  that 
the  spirit  may  be  saved  in  the  day  of  the  Lord  Jesus,  and 
accordingly  he  is  hereby  excommunicated.  And  God 
have  mercy  on  his  soul.  Amen." 

I  find  also  not  a  few — and  I  am  sorry  to  say  again, 
many  women — suspended  or  excluded  for  profanity. 

Not  only,  however,  were  members  disciplined  for  intoxi- 
cation and  profanity,  but  for  far  worse  offenses.  The  num- 
ber of  cases  of  immorality  was  very  large.  Especially 
when  we  consider  the  small    membership    in  these  early 


BI-CENTENNIAL    CELEBRATION.  177 

days,  I  feel  quite  convinced  that,  though  the  church  of  the 
present  day  in  the  matter  of  dogma  is  less  strenuous,  in 
the  matter  of  morals  and  manners  we  have  made  immense 
progress.  Christianity  now  is  less  of  a  belief  and  more  of 
a  life;  less  insistent  on  unimportant  matters  of  a  Creed  or 
a  Confession  of  Faith,  such  as  the  Imposition  of  Hands, 
and  more  insistent  on  a  pure  life  filled  with  love  to  God 
and  charity  to  man. 

Discipline  extended  to  the  most  minute  affairs  of  the  home 
and  the  counting-house  as  well  as  the  church;  as  in  diffi- 
culties between  husband  and  wife;  engaging  in  any  brawl ; 
attending  another  church  when  our  own  was  open  ;  absence 
from  church;  the  sale  of  furniture  of  a  wife  by  her  hus- 
band ;  going  to  law  with  another  member  without  first  hav- 
ing followed  the  Scriptural  rule  of  reconciliation ;  false 
weights  ;  reflections  on  the  character  of  a  fellow-member; 
small  unpaid  debts;  failure  to  pay  rent;  lying;  and  fre- 
quently in  cases  of  business  failures.  On  one  occasion, 
July  15,  1765,  a  member  was  disciplined  for  offering  to  sell 
a  would-be  purchaser  some  skins  at  a  lower  rate  than  that 
demanded  by  another  member,  and  the  offender  promised 
to  do  so  no  more.  This  certainly  would  seem  to  be  a  legi- 
timate business  procedure  in  our  eyes. 

On  September  7,  1767,  not  only  was  a  woman  suspended, 
but  "all  the  Brethren  and  Sisters  are  desired  to  watch 
over  her  conduct  and  to  discourse  with  her  as  often  as 
they  can," — a  punishment,  let  us  hope,  that  was  reserved 
for  only  the  gravest  offenses.  Another  committee  reports 
of  a  delinquent  sister  that  "  they  will  still  keep  an  eye  on 
her  and  report  if  she  acts  amiss."  One  committee's 
report  reads  very  mildly  but  suggestively  thus  :  "  Recent 
declarations  of  William  have  rendered  his  word  on  all 
occasions  doubtful,"  which  seems  reasonable,  as  he  had 
asserted  that  he  had  money  at  interest,  and  when  this  was 
paid  he  could  discharge  his   obligations  to  his   landlord  ; 


178  FIRST  BAPTIST  CHURCH. 

but  the  money  proved  to  belong  to  orphans  for  whom  he 
was  guardian.  The  report  of  one  committee,  January  4, 
1 8 19,  is  so  extraordinary  that  I  copy  it  in  full,  inserting,  of 
course,  a  fictitious  name  for  the  offender.  Whether  the 
concluding  words  were  soberly  set  down  as  an  aggravation 
of  the  offense,  or  whether  the  committee  were  touched 
with  a  sense  of  humor  is  a  question. 

"  We  the  Subscribers  appointed  to  investigate  further 
reports,  respecting  the  conduct  of  Thomas  B.  Jones,  re- 
spectfully report — 

"  That  in  pursuance  of  said  appointment,  we  have  care- 
fully investigated  the  same,  and  that  upon  due  considera- 
tion, as  well  as  the  assertions  of  M'  Jones,  as  those  made 
by  the  persons  who  saw  and  heard  the  transactions,  we 
are  of  opinion  that  Thomas  B.  Jones,  has  in  many  instances 
made  assertions  tending  to  involve  him  in  falsehood,  and 
disimulation,  and  on  some  occasions  this  tendency  has 
been  actually  verefied,  also  that  he  has  been  in  the  habit 
of  frequenting  parties  that  practised  singing  Songs,  and 
telling  Stories,'  which  he  at  one  time  evidently  encouraged 
by  requesting  the  Ladies  and  Gentlemen  in  general,  either 
to  sing  a  Song  or  tell  a  Story,  and  his  Wife  in  particular 
several  times  to  sing  a  Song,  who  accordingly  did  sing, 
and  was  allowed  to  be  the  best  singer  in  the  room. 
(Signed) 

"  John  Redstreke, 

"  Henry  Benner, 

"  John  Hanse. 

Philada  Jany  4,  181 9. 

"  On  motion  resolved  that  Thomas  B.  Jones  be  excluded 
from  all  the  privileges  of  the  Church,  to  take  place  on  the 
next  regular  meeting  for  business." 

His  wife  seems  to  have  escaped  even  censure. 

1  Mr.  Julius  F.  Sachse  suggests  that  this  was  probably  the  "Free  and 
Easy"  of  the  English  spinners  who  came  from  Lancashire  and  Nottingham. 
These  meetings  were  introduced  about  this  period,  and  continued  in  the 
neighborhood  of  Third  and  Fourth  and  Cherry  Streets,  in  Philadelphia,  until 
about  the  outbreak  of  the  Civil  War. 


BI-CENTENNIAL    CELEBRATION.  179 

Oftentimes  mere  rumors  seem  to  have  been  investigated 
by  a  formal  committee,  who,  happily  in  many  cases,  re- 
ported them  groundless.  In  some  cases  a  long  time  was 
required  for  such  inquiries,  as  on  March  14,  1803,  one 
member  was  vindicated  as  to  his  business  failure  after  four 
years  of  investigation. 

Insolvent  debtors  are  not  uncommonly  mentioned  as 
being  in  prison. 

On  June  18,  1832,  it  was  resolved  that  if  any  member 
fails  in  business,  and  has  been  released  on  a  payment  of  a 
certain  percentage  of  his  debts — 

"  He  shall  be  required  to  pay  the  whole  amount  originally 
due,  principal  and  interest,  the  compromise  with  his  credi- 
tors notwithstanding,  if  at  any  time  thereafter  he  is  able 
to  do  so,  or  shall  be  considered  guilty  of  a  breach  of  the 
moral  law  and  shall  be  dealt  with  accordingly." 

A  high  standard  of  business  morality  this,  but  one  which, 
I  am  glad  to  be  able  to  testify,  within  our  own  knowl- 
edge has  been  lived  up  to  by  not  a  few  members  of  this 
ancient  church. 

It  made  me  smile  to  read  (January  13,  1823)  of  an  inves- 
tigation into  the  conduct  of  a  man  (T.  W.)  whom  many  of 
you  and  I  in  boyhood  knew  as  a  white-haired  and  most 
respected,  peaceable  deacon  and  trustee  of  this  church. 
He  was  censured  for  having  chartered  a  vessel  to  carry  a 
number  of  men  and  a  quantity  of  munitions  of  war  for  the 
purpose  of  overthrowing  the  then  existing  government  of 
Puerto  Rico.  Could  he  have  waited  just  three-quarters  of 
a  century,  he  would  have  had  the  pleasure  of  the  company 
of  a  good  many  other  Christian  gentlemen  on  a  similar 
errand  ;  and  Philadelphia,  at  her  recent  Peace  Jubilee,  would 
have  applauded  him  to  the  echo  had  he  marched  past  our 
own  church  on  Broad  Street. 

No  respect  was  shown  to  persons  or  to  position,  for  I 
have  found,  to  my  surprise,  not  a  few  familiar  names  among 


i8o  FIRST  BAPTIST  CHURCH. 

those  known  to  me  in  my  childhood  and  early  manhood  as 
some  of  our  most  prominent  members  who  were  disci- 
plined by  the  church  for  various  offenses.  The  case  of 
Morgan  Edwards  is  a  good  illustration  of  an  impartiality 
which  has  been  long  continued. 

A  very  large  portion  of  the  Minutes  of  the  church  for 
the  first  few  score  of  years  of  which  we  have  any  were 
occupied  with  cases  of  discipline.  They  seem  to  have  felt 
that  "  whom  the  Lord  loveth  He  chasteneth,  and  scourgeth 
every  son  whom  he  receiveth,"  and  they  added  a  good  deal 
of  chastening  and  scourging  on  their  own  account.  In  view 
of  the  extent  to  which  this  was  carried,  we  can  understand 
the  following  concerning  Daniel  Jenckes,  who  died  in  1774, 
aged  seventy-three.  He  lies  in  the  North  Burying  Ground, 
Providence,  R.  I.,  itself  almost  a  patent  of  nobility,  and  it 
is  recorded  that  he  was  "  a  member  of  the  First  Baptist 
Church  for  forty  eight  years  without  censured 

Music. — It  is  pleasant  to  turn  from  discord  and  discipline 
to  harmony  and  music.  So  far  as  the  Minutes  show,  and 
to  my  personal  knowledge  for  over  thirty  years,  our 
church  has  been  delightfully  free  from  discord  as  to  its 
music. 

Singing,  together  with  the  Imposition  of  Hands,  we  owe 
chiefly  to  the  Welsh  Tract  Church.  The  early  Baptists  in 
Europe  rarely  sang,  presumably  because,  being  persecuted, 
and  their  assemblies  being  forbidden,  they  had  to  be  as 
quiet  and  secret  as  possible  to  avoid  interruptions.  In 
1 76 1  (September  7th)  it  was  "  agreed  that  the  Psalms  be 
sung  without  giving  out  the  lines,"  and  in  1763  (March  5th) 
the  congregation  were  notified  to  obtain  psalm-books  in 
order  to  avoid  this  inconvenience.  A  "  clerk  "  usually  led 
the  music  and  occupied  a  place  immediately  below  the 
pulpit.  On  April  2,  1763,  two  tunes  not  being  approved 
of  by  some,  a  committee  was  ordered  to  select  the  tunes, 
but  I  do  not  find  any  record  of  such  selection  until  March 


BI-CENTENNIAL    CELEBRATION.  i8i 

2,    1789,   when   thirty-one  psalm-tunes  were    selected,  as 
follows  : 

Isle  White, 

Brunswick,  \  136th, 

Coleshill,  I  Old  100, 

Mur,  J  New  100, 

Bangor,  /  Greens  100, 

Rochester  or  St.  Michal,    f  ^  Wells, 

St.  Humphry,  \    TyT„j„.       Brookfield,             ^  Long  Meter. 

St.  Martin's,  [             ''     Wellington, 

98th,  y  Morning  Hymn, 

5th,  1  Angle  Hymn, 

34th,  I  Bath, 

Suffield,  /  Savanah. 

Virginia. 

Little  Marlborow,  \ 

New  Eagle  Street,  /  y  ^ 

Worksworth  or  Ailsborow,  '  S.  M.        a   "u  ^''V  P-  M. 

c^   T-i  (  Amhurst.  1 

St.  Ihomases,  V  ■* 

Orange.  / 

"  Old  Hundred  "  we  all  know,  but  I  confess  to  such  an 
imperfect  musical  education  that  I  never  heard  of  "  New 
Hundred  "  before  seeing  it  in  this  list,  though  its  existence 
is  presupposed  by  the  very  title  of  "  Old  Hundred,"  and 
"  Green's  Hundred,"  to  me  at  least,  is  still  a  mystery. 

The  first  record  of  instrumental  music  is  found  in  the 
Minutes  of  the  Philadelphia  Association  for  1762,  when  it 
met  in  the  Lutheran  Church  on  Fifth  Street  below  Race, 
"  where  the  sound  of  an  organ  was  heard  in  Baptist 
worship."  The  First  Church  of  Newport  was  one  of  the 
earliest  to  introduce  instrumental  music.  A  bass  viol  was 
used.  In  my  childhood  our  choir  used  a  bass  viol,  violin, 
clarionet,  and  possibly  a  horn. 

On  November  5,  1804,  the  first  choir  was  formed.  A 
note  in  the  Minutes  directs  that  "four  New  Pews  in  the 
Gallary  be  appropriated  for  the  use  of  persons  to  Assist  in 
Singing  untill  ist  July  next."  On  February  25,  1829, 
permission    was    granted,    by    the    narrow    margin    of  30 


i82  FIRST  BAPTIST  CIIURCTJ. 

votes  to  23,  to  put  up  an  organ  "  without  expense  to  the 
church." 

It  is  probably  remembered  by  many  of  you,  and  is  an 
evidence  of  our  harmony  in  matters  musical,  that  in  1886 
(January  iith),  the  church  passed  a  resolution  of  thanks 
to  James  S.  Moore,  after  fifty  years  of  service  as  Chairman 
of  the  Music  Committee. 

Such  prolonged  service  is  a  feature  of  our  church  life. 
In  ourown  day  Deacon  John  C.  Davis  resigned  as  Treas- 
urer after  thirty-seven  years  of  service,  and  Deacon  Lever- 
ing followed  him  for  a  term  of  twenty  years. 

In  the  pastorate  the  same  rule  has  obtained,  for  from  1746 
till  1894,  a  period  of  one  hundred  and  forty-eight  years,  we 
have  had  but  eleven  pastors  ;  or,  excluding  Mr.  Winchester, 
who  served  but  one  year,  ten  pastors  with  an  average  pas- 
torate of  fifteen  years.  Had  each  pastor  served  as  long  as 
our  beloved  Dr.  Boardman,  five  pastorates  would  have 
covered  the  century  and  a  half. 

It  is  interesting  to  note  that  my  old  college  friend,  Pro- 
fessor J.  H.  Gilmore,  of  Rochester  University,  ^  states  that 
the  well-known  hymn,  "  He  Leadeth  Me,"  had  its  origin 
from  a  Wednesday  evening  service  in  our  church.  He 
had  preached  on  the  Twenty-third  Psalm,  and  after  the 
service  he  went  to  Deacon  Thomas  S.  Wattson's  hospitable 
house,  where,  with  his  host's  family  and  Deacon  and  Mrs. 
Washington  Butcher,  he  had  been  conversing  on  the 
blessedness  of  being  led  by  God.  During  the  conversa- 
tion he  wrote  out  the  hymn  which  has  comforted  so  many 
of  God's  children  in  the  midst  of  sorrows  and  troubles. 

In  order  that  the  singing  as  well  as  the  other  exercises 
might  be  in  quietude,  one  strange  vote  of  the  church 
should  be  referred  to.  On  May  7,  1789,  a  committee  was 
appointed  to  carry  out  a  recently  enacted  law  authorizing 
churches  to  place  a  chain  across  the  street  to  prevent  car- 
1  Burrage's  "  Baptist  Hymn-writers  and  Their  Hymns,"  p.  472. 


B [-CENTENNIAL    CELEB R A TION 


iS: 


riages  passing  during  public  worship.  But  a  year  later 
(May  6,  1790)  the  chain  is  reported  as  bought,  but  it  is 
directed  that  it  be  sold  on  account  of  its  inutility.  This 
law  I  find  was  passed  April  4,  1789,  and  was  not  repealed 
until  March  5,  1831,  though  I  suspect  it  had  long  since 
fallen  into  "  innocuous  desuetude." 

The  only  other  similar  vote  I  find  was  on  July  15.  1839, 


J^nycunin.  <^C0(4^         ^%.t^,.«^^^^T-<i-?  Ji^^^^n^^ 


y 


^ 


&ui£i  ^</mM      Z4^om   Jic^i^ f.^iJ^L 


i^cmsdn 


Fig.  49. — Facsimile  of  the  Signatures  to  the  Deed  of  the  "  Branson 
Donation"  for  the  Poor,  Dated  August  25,1746. 


when  a  committee  was  appointed  to  endeavor  to  stop  the 
running  of  omnibuses  on  Sunday. 

In  looking  over  the  Minutes  of  the  church  I  have  been 
struck  with  its  frequent  and  large-hearted  charities. 

Legacies. — In  the  first  place,  the  number  of  legacies  left 
to  the  church  for  specific  purposes  is  large. 

I.  On  August  25,  1746,  William  and  Sarah  Branson  left 
to  the  church  three  properties,  now  Nos.  127,  129,  and  131 


1 84  FIRST  BAPTIST  CHURCH. 

North  Third  Street.  Of  the  income  £\o  were  directed 
to  be  given  to  the  minister  and  the  balance  to  the  poor  of 
the  church  (Appendix  O).  It  is  signed  by  such  honored 
names  as  WilHam  and  Sarah  Branson,  Jenkin  Jones,  Eben- . 
ezer  Kinnersley,  Benjamin  Loxley,  and  others  (Fig.  49), 
and  the  witnesses  are  "  sworn  on  the  Holy  Evangelists  of 
Almighty  God"  by  Isaac  Jones,  Esq.,  "  one  of  his  Majesties 
Justices,  etc."  ^ 

II.  On  May  20,  1744,  Sarah  Smith,  by  will,  left  ^,"330 
Pennsylvania  currency,  invested  in  an  annual  ground-rent 
of  ;^40,  or  ^15  Pennsylvania  currency,  on  the  Scotch 
Presbyterian  Church,  Spruce  Street  above  Third,  to  the 
church, 

"Of  which  one  third  is  devoted  to  the  pastor:  one  third 
to  poor  widows,  and  one  third  to  poor  tradesmen,  other 
charities,  or  other  uses." 

It  is,  perhaps,  no  wonder  that,  having  been  herself  at  least 
twice  (if  not  thrice)  a  widow,"  one-third  of  the  income  of 
her  bequest  was  given  to  those  similarly  bereft.  This 
ground-rent  was  extinguished  July  25,  1885,  by  the  pay- 
ment of  $1000,  which  has  been  securely  invested. 

In  the  will  she  also  makes  a  gift  of  ^^5  Pennsylvania 
currency  "to  my  Hus'^Miegro  wench  named  Hannah," 
and  gives  to  other  legatees  "  my  negro  boy  named  Jethro  " 
and  "my  negro  girl  named  Jenny  now  in  Philad''."'' 

III.  January  22,  18 16,  a  colored  man,  Hloses  Johnson, 
left  a  one-half  interest  in  a  property  on  Ninth  Street  above 
Arch,  and  one-half  of  a  bond  of  ^1370  to  the  church  for 
the  support  of  poor  widows  and  others.  This  realized 
when  sold  1^3500,  which  has  been  safely  invested. 

1  It  is  noted  in  "  Trustees'  Minute  Book  C,"  pp.  9S-100,  and  is  recorded 
in  "  Deed  Isook  L,"  p.  485. 

2  Benedict,  loc.  cit.,  vol.  11,  p.  124. 

3  It  is  noted  in  "  Minute  Book  No.  3,"  Jan.  9,  17S6. 


B I- CENTENNIAL    CELEBRATION.  185 

We  should  be  wanting  in  chivalrous  recognition  of 
the  broad-minded  philanthropy  of  this  son  of  Africa  if  we 
should  forget  that  this  was  given  when  slavery  was  recog- 
nized by  law,  and  that  the  income  was  not  disbursed  to  his 
own  race,  but  is  to-day  enjoyed  by  his  white  brethren  and 
sisters.^ 

All  these  three  trusts  existed  before  the  troubles  with 
our  brethren  of  Spruce  Street.  By  the  terms  of  the  final 
agreement  (page  93)  they  were  retained  by  our  church. 

IV.  December  22,  1845,  Thomas  Sheilds,  by  his  will, 
left  to  the  church,  for  poor  members,  a  property,  now  219 
East  Baltimore  Street,  Baltimore,  Md.' 

V.  May  13,  1874,  John  C.  Davis  left  |iooo  to  clothe 
poor  children  of  the  Sunday  School  and  the  Mission 
Schools.'^ 

VI.  January  19,  1866,  Mrs.  Joseph  Hagy,  as  a  Memorial 
of  her  daughter,  Mrs.  Evima  C.  Justice,  left  $500  for  the 
poor  of  the  Sabbath  School.^ 

VII.  In  February,  1891,  Anthony  D.  Bnl/ock  bequeathed 
^500  to  our  Sunday  School  for  missionary  purposes. 

VIII.  Mrs.  Harriet  J.  Hnglies  who  died  December  21, 
1882,  bequeathed  ;$6oo  to  the  Sunday  School  for  the 
Library.  Half  of  it  is  used  for  the  Library  of  the  Imman- 
uel  Mission. 

These  last  four  bequests  are  safely  invested. 

All  these  eight  trusts  still  exist.  Their  net  income  for 
last  year,  added  to  about  $300  from  the  communion  col- 
lections for  the  poor,  amounted  to  over  $3500.     Besides 

1  It  is  noted  in  "  Trustees'  Minute  Book  C,"  pp.  98-100,  and  is  recorded  in 
"  Will  Book  3,"  p.  575. 

2  It  is  noted  in  "  Trustees'  Minute  Book  C,"  pp.  9S-100,  and  is  recorded  in 
"  Will  Book  18,"  p.  174. 

3  It  is  noted  in  "Trustees'  Minute  Book  C,"  p.  236,  and  is  recorded  in 
"Will  Book  80,"  p.  II. 

*  It  is  noted  in  "  Trustees'  Minute  Book  C,"  p.  83. 


i86  FIRST  BAPTIST  CHURCH. 

these,  I  have  found  perhaps  a  dozen  other  trust  sums,  left 
for  temporary  purposes,  such  as  paying  off  the  debt  of  the 
church,  paying  for  new  church  buildings,  etc.,  which  have 
terminated  naturally. 

The  amount  of  good  done  for  many  scores  of  years  by 
these  trust  funds  is  incalculable.  Even  as  early  as  1821 
(October  8th),  in  answer  to  a  query  from  the  Commis- 
sioners on  Pauperism  appointed  by  the  Governor  of  Penn- 
sylvania, we  report  that  our  payments  to  the  poor  averaged 
annually  over  $1000.  In  1769  a  house  was  hired  for  the 
poor,  as  is  shown  by  a  receipt,  dated  April  ist,  for  £^,  the 
half  year's  rental.' 

Benevolent  Collections. — Besides  these,  however,  the  con- 
tributions given  by  the  church  in  the  early  days  were 
frequent,  and  show  a  widespread  sympathy.  In  1763  we 
sent  ^^"25  I2S.  6d.  to  the  Kolonowa  Church  when  its  mem- 
bers were  driven  from  their  homes  by  the  Indians.  In 
1774,  £\o  15s.  were  contributed  "  for  our  brethren  suffering 
under  cruel  oppression  in  New  England,"  and  a  Committee 
on  Grievances  was  appointed  to  assist  them. 

On  February  12,  1827,  the  collections,  both  morningand 
afternoon,  amounting  to  ^22.71,  were  devoted  to  the 
assistance  of  David  Noflet,  "  a  man  of  color,"  to  help  him 
purchase  his  daughter,  then  in  slavery. 

Among  other  collections  I  find,  by  special  vote  of  the 
church,  one  for  the  church  at  Steuben,  N.  Y.  (1825);  for 
the  church  at  Lambertville,  N.  J.  (1826);  for  the  church  in 
the  village  of  Deposit,  Delaware  County,  N.  Y.  (1827); 
the  Frankford  Church  (1827);  New  Market  Street  Church 
(1827);  one  for  $162.91  in  favor  of  the  Greeks  (1827) ;  one 
for  the  Milesburg  Church  (1828) ;  the  Holmesburg  Church 

'  See  the  receipt  m  the  "  Historical  Scrap  liook,"  in  which  I  have  placed 
many  of  our  ancient  and  curious  papers,  together  with  newspaper  notices  of 
the  ]-]i-centennial  celebration.  The  book  has  been  placed  in  our  archives  for 
future  use. 


BI-CENTENXIAL    CELEBRATION.    .  187 

(1829) ;  for  Brother  Tinson,  a  missionary  in  Jamaica  (1829) ; 
the  Welsh  Baptist  Church,  Pottsville  (1830);  the  Central 
Baptist  Church,  Washington,  D.  C.  (1830)  ;  the  Seaman's 
Friend  Society  (1831);  one  for  the  sufferers  at  the  Cape 
de  Verde  Islands  (1832),  and  in  the  same  year  one  for  the 
Baptist  Hibernian  Society  of  London.  These  numerous 
collections  (fourteen)  were  ordered  during  the  period  of  our 
troubles,  when  much  extra  expense  was  incurred  by  litiga- 
tion. In  1838  (March  i  ith),  at  one  time  three  collections 
were  ordered  for  churches  in  Ohio,  York  (Penna.),  and 
Monrovia  (Africa),  and  in  1848  the  church  at  Toberman, 
Ireland,  "  return  thanks  to  the  church  for  a  gift  of  $\^o  " 
during  the  famine  then  prevalent  in  Ireland.  Just  after  the 
Civil  War,  at  Dr.  Boardman's  suggestion,  a  handsome  gift 
was  made  to  his  old  church  at  Barnwell  Court  House, 
South  Carolina,  which  had  suffered  severely  from  the 
ravages  of  war. 

No  stated  times  seem  to  have  been  set  for  the  various 
regular  benevolent  collections  of  the  church,  but  each  one 
was  taken  up  at  a  time  fixed  by  a  special  vote,  apparently, 
up  to  1864;  but  about  that  time  our  present  plan  of 
regular  stated  collections  seems  to  have  been  inaugurated 
(see  page  10). 

A  collection  for  the  Dorcas  Society  seems  to  have  been 
started  on  the  first  Sunday  in  1845  ;  for  the  Sunday  School, 
February  22,  18 19;  and  communion  collections  for  the 
poor  of  the  church,  January  1 1,  181 1. 

So  great  was  the  interest  in  the  Baptist  General  Tract 
Society — now  our  American  Baptist  Publication  Society — 
that  in  1827  a  collection  was  ordered  to  be  taken  for  them 
once  every  three  months. 

It  is  worthy  of  note  that  for  many  of  the  ordinary 
expenses  of  the  church — such  as  for  winter  fuel,  cleaning 
the  "  branches  and  sconces,"  repairing  the  stove-pipes,  etc. 
— collections  were  taken  whenever  necessity  arose,  instead 


i88  FIRST  BAPTIST  CHURCH. 

of  being  defrayed,  as  at  present,  out  of  the  regular  income 
of  the  church. 

The  pew-rents  seemed  to  have  been  devoted  primarily  to 
the  salary  of  the  ministers  and  the  sexton.  They  were 
collected  by  committees  appointed  by  the  church,  and  I 
find  in  an  old  list,  dated  July  12,  1763,  that  there  were 
ninety-six  pews,  the  highest  pew-rent  being  ^5  and  the 
lowest  £\  15s.  Only  five  of  the  highest  rate  were  rented. 
Just  after  the  Revolutionary  War,  when  the  Continental 
currency  became  so  worthless,  the  pew-rents  were  fixed  at 
six  times  the  rental  just  before  the  war,  some  of  the 
persons  agreeing  to  pay  in  "hard  money"  at  the  old  rate 
and  some  in  Continental  money  at  the  new  rate. 

In  addition  to  these,  the  amounts  raised  for  various 
alterations  and  repairs  to  the  church  have  been  large. 

In  the  enlargement  inaugurated  in  1806,  and  effected 
about  1808,  the  total  cost  is  reported,  on  May  11,  18  18,  to 
have  been  j§  15,000.  In  i833-'34  alterations  to  the  church 
and  Sabbath  School  were  effected  at  a  cost  of  about 
;Sio,ooo.  In  i873-'74,  $26,000  were  expended  in  alterations 
and  improvements  on  the  church  at  Broad  and  Arch  Streets, 
besides  $19,000  collected  for  the  purpose  of  extinguishing 
the  floating  debt  of  the  church. 

In  1794  (September  8th)  a  fund  for  the  relief  of  orphans, 
including  (as  the  apprentice  system  was  then  in  vogue) 
"those  who  have  lost  their  Masters,"  was  started,  and  in 
1795  (February  i6th)there  were  over 400  subscribers,  pay- 
ing from  fifty  cents  to  five  dollars  each.  No  building  seems 
to  have  been  contemplated,  but  only  the  raising  of  a  sum 
sufficient  to  relieve  the  wants  of  such  unfortunates. 

In  18 1 2  this  Society  was  enlarged  to  embrace  all  the 
Baptist  churches  in  the  city.  It  seems  to  have  been  the 
precursor  of  our  present  Orphanage,  whose  origin  has 
already  been  stated. 

The    object    of   the  Society   of    1794  for   the   relief   of 


BI-CENTENNIAL    CELEBRATION.  189 

orphans  was  not  only  their  support,  but  also  their  educa- 
tion, and  the  keeping  of  a  Parish  Register  of  Births  and 
Deaths,  which  was  then  ordered.  At  the  time  of  its  en- 
largement in  1812,  the  President,  Thomas  Shields,^  urged 
the  keeping  of  such  a  register  on  account  of  its  legal  value 
in  the  settlement  of  estates. 

Indeed,  the  first  Article  of  the  "  Constitution  of  the 
Philadelphia  Baptist  Orphan  Society  "  reads  : 

"  The  design  of  this  Society  is  to  establish  a  register  of 
the  births  and  deaths  of  the  members  of  the  Baptist 
churches  and  congregations  in  the  city  and  liberties  of 
Philadelphia,  who  shall  become  subscribers  thereto,  and 
who  shall  pay,  or  cause  to  be  paid,  or  have  heretofore  paid 
at  the  time  of  subscribing,  a  sum  not  less  than  fifty  cents 
for  each  name  recorded  in  the  Register.  The  interest 
arising  from  which  fund  shall  be  applied  to  the  education 
and  assistance  of  such  orphan  and  indigent  children  whose 
names  may  have  been  recorded  in  the  Society." 

In  1817  (April  14th)  the  fund  amounted  to  $896.  I 
have  not,  however,  been  able  to  trace  the  Society  after  that 
date. 

Marriage  Book. — In  lieu  of  such  a  Parish  Register  the 
ancient  parchment-bound  Marriage  Book  of  our  church 
(Fig.  50)  has  often  served  such  a  legal  purpose.  It  marks 
again  the  orderly  methods  of  Morgan  Edwards,  who  opened 
it  on  June  25,  1761. 

On  the  inside  of  the  cover  appears  a  record  rather 
strange  to  our  modern  Baptist  eyes,  but  which  might  not 
inaptly  be  copied  :  "  Jeremiah  son  of  John  Sullivan,  was 
named  and  devoted  April  17,  1769";  written,  as  the  pen- 
manship shows,  by  Morgan  Edwards  himself,  the  then 
pastor. 

Here  are  over  four  hundred  pages,  containing  over  three 
thousand  marriages,  carefully  indexed  for  the  names  of  both 

^  Spencer's  "  Early  Baptists  of  Pliiladelphia,"  p.  182. 


190 


J' I  RSI-  BAPTIST  CHURCH. 


FT  •"• 


I    |IUJiMl^ 


Ann    Cole,  -5 


J^ 


'^  t 


Thxma.-»  EdLwaYcl^    5       ar  ThiMdt/nfuM.  btl  JurvL 
I  /«^.   hviyntlififliu      cmM. 

\^trwfaynuJ   sec  en.  Axi^nuvrcJL  anxL   six- 

frvcntif  ^Ji/fA.    rnj,  -t^x!U/faML 
stMt/n-  iujj'/drexL    ancL  i</HJi4  crruL. ,  v*f 


ifiotA-  si  /Ail-  cctu  ofJ'AxZ-Oj- 
rcuL    cU  /^.  JcuJ  citiJ    }iJu 


VOM/Tl. 


EUiatsih  Biurihclt  3  eU  (f/u'lk^c/M/ila    en   /A 

CTfccv<^«.  3«.nlvn^    \  Sortie/' f^  ciJti  of  {p/,i' . 

HitimK  tt^Tmon  S  /sjiiJjjJuiL.  mere  ^ali^ 

niayrrtiJ  cU-  ^it    icaii--  <u'- 


T" 


Hervtv  TaviV 


ii'juUf   one..  ,  Im^   f^fterrMl^tl-  /J/i/Of^ 


Fig.  50.— Facsimile  of  the  First  Page  in  Our  Marriage  Book 
(in  the  Hanuwriting  of  Morgan  Edwards). 


B [-CENTENNIAL    CELEBRATION.  191 

parties,  and  covering  a  period  of  one  hundred  and  thirty- 
seven  years.  The  book  opens  as  an  account-book  for  the 
first  twelve  pages.  Among  the  accounts  is  one  with  the 
pastor, "  Rev.  Mr  Jenkin  Jones  "  ;  another  is  headed  "  Poor 
Widows,"  among  whom  figures  largely  "  the  Widow  Prig  " 
(not  Betsy,  we  hope).  Another,  headed  "  Poor  Tradesmen," 
etc.,  quaintly  reads  : 

"  To  3  Tradesmen  ^^3.0.0.  The  above  Tradesmen  haveing 
bin  Distressed  by  Sickness,  this  Donation  was  given  by 
the  Congegation  without  mentioning  their  names  in  the 
minets  " — 

an  entry  that  does  more  honor  to  the  delicate  charity  of 
the  Church  than  to  the  learning  of  its  then  treasurer. 
Then  begins  the  list  of  marriages,  opening  with  that 
of  Thomas  James,  Esq.,  and  Thamar  Edwards,  married 
June  25,  1761,  by  Morgan  Edwards,  and  continued  by 
William  Rogers,  Thomas  Ustick,  Wm.  Staughton,  Mor- 
gan J.  Rhees,  Henry  Holcombe,  Wm.  T.  Brantly,  George 
B.  Ide,  B.  R.  Loxley,  J.  H.  Cuthbert,  Geo.  D.  Boardman, 
F.  F.  Briggs,  and  Kerr  Boyce  Tupper.  The  last  marriage 
closing  our  second  century  was  that  of  Robert  Graffen 
Wilson  and  Laura  Gendell,  December  3,  1898,  when  two 
old  and  honored  families  of  this  Church  were  united,  both 
of  our  present  pastors  officiating,  as  the  record  shows.  As 
nearly  all  were  excellent  penmen,  the  book  presents  an 
unusually  neat  appearance.  Morgan  Edwards  records  158 
marriages,  and  Dr.  Boardman  nearly  260;  but  William 
Rogers  excels  them  all.  On  page  267  he  records  with 
evident  and  rather  pardonable  pride,  after  a  marriage  on 
September  5,  1 8 14,  that  it 

"  Constitutes  the  aggregate  number  of  one  thousand 
couples  married  by  me,  only  a  few  of  whom,  married  in 
R.  Island  State,  etc,  but  have  been  faithfully  recorded  and 
alphabetized  in  this  book  for  the  benefit  of  the  Concerned." 

How  many  more  there  were  of  the  "  concerned  "  I  have 


192  FIRST  BAPTIST  CHURCH. 

not  counted,  but  the  record  of  his  marriages  does  not  close 
until  over  nine  years  later — December  18,  1823. 

The  political  condition  of  the  country  is  reflected  on 
page  after  page.  At  first  the  records  read  "  Gov.  Penn's 
licence  being  first  had,"  and  curiously  enough  the  very 
last  use  of  this  "  licence"  is  at  the  wedding  of  David  Zell 
and  Eliz.  Roberts,  who  found  time  to  be  married  on  such 
a  historic  and  exciting  day  as  July  4,  1776,  by  William 
Rogers,  V.D.M. 

The  very  entry  preceding  this  is  again  a  marriage  by 
Wm.  Rogers,  not  now  V.D.M.  (Verbi  Dei  Minister — i.e., 
*'  Minister  of  the  Word  of  God  "),  but  "  Chaplain,"  the 
groom  being  "  a  Provincial  Soldier  "  ;  and  then  appear  at 
intervals  soldiers  of  the  "Pennsylvania"  or  "Maryland 
Line,"  and  on  April  30,  1778,  is  the  now  familiar  but  then 
very  strange  title,  "  He  a  Captain  of  Horse  in  the  Service 
of  the  Ujiitcd  States'' 

Meantime  the  licenses  had  been  issued  by  Colonel  Pat- 
ton,  President  Wharton,  or,  more  commonly,  the  Supreme 
Executive  Council.  Not  infrequently  it  is  added  that  they 
were  married  "  after  being  called  in  church  three  several 
times,"  and  more  than  once  some  such  entry  as  this  is 
added  :  "The  unkle  and  aunt  of  the  young  woman  became 
answerable  that  they  gave  true  answers  to  the  questions 
asked  them  by  me  Morgan  Edwards."  One  of  the  pastors 
records  the  various  fees  he  was  paid — a  habit  he  wisely  and 
speedily  dropped  as  unfitted  for  a  book  of  public  entries. 

Patriotism. — As  an  example  of  patriotism  and  an  advo- 
cate of  liberty  of  conscience  our  Church  has  taken  an  ad- 
vanced stand  worthy  of  the  best  traditions  of  the  Baptists. 

Upon  the  death  of  Washington  I  find  a  Minute  of  January 
6,  1 800  : 

"This  Church  Considering  the  Important  Services  of  the 
General  George  Washington  in  conducting  our  Armies, 
through  the  Revolutionary  War 


BI-CENTENNIAL    CELEBRATION.  193 

"  Resolved  that  this  Church  to  show  Respect  to  his 
memory  our  Meeting  House  Shall  appear  in  mourning  for 
at  least  three  months,  and  the  expences  be  paid  out  of  the 
afternoon  Collections." 

April  30,  1889,  the  centennial  of  Washington's  inaugu- 
ration as  first  President  of  the  United  States,  was  observed 
by  a  special  service  and  an  appropriate  sermon. 

Upon  the  deaths  of  Presidents  Harrison  (1841),  Lincoln 
(1865),  and  Grant  (1885),  the  church  was  similarly  draped 
in  black,  and  in  the  last  two  cases  Dr.  Boardman  paid  a 
special  tribute  to  the  memory  of  the  deceased  Presidents. 

On  April  14,  1865,  when  the  national  flag,  made  within 
a  stone's  throw  of  our  old  church  in  Lagrange  Place,  was 
again  unfurled  upon  Fort  Sumter,  a  special  service  was 
held  in  the  church.  Indeed,  so  noted  was  the  church  for 
its  patriotism  in  the  early  days  of  the  Civil  War  that  the 
building  was  guarded  night  and  day  for  a  time  lest  it 
should  be  destroyed  by  fire. 

These  well-known  modern  instances  were  presaged  a 
century  before  by  congratulatory  addresses  in  1763  (No- 
vember 5th)  to  the  new  Governor,  to  be  presented  by  Mor- 
gan Edwards  and  Ebenezer  Kinnersley,  and  again  in  1783 
(February  3d)  in  a  similar  letter  to  President  Dickinson 
upon  his  accession. 

Slavery. — In  February,  1775,  the  Church  agreed  "to  take 
into  consideration  the  impropriety  of  the  Slave  Trade." 
Though  this  anti-slavery  sentiment  was  suppressed  during 
the  pastorates  of  Drs.  Holcombe,  Brantly,  and  Cuthbert, — 
all  Southern  men, — partly  in  deference  to  their  well-known 
sentiments  and  partly  through  the  sentiments  of  the  people 
themselves,  yet  it  only  lay  dormant,  and  found  at  last  a 
fitting  expression  in  the  following  utterance  of  Dr.  Board- 
man  on  December  24,  1865  : 

"  On  Sabbath  evening,  24th  inst.,  the  Pastor  (Rev. 
George   Dana   Boardman)  before  calling  attention  to  the 


194  FIRST  BAPTIST  CHURCH. 

sermon   he  had   prepared  for   the   occasion,  addressed  the 
congregation  as  follows  : 

"  I  cannot  permit  the  most  stupendous  event  which  has 
occurred  in  the  Western  Hemisphere  since  the  Declaration 
of  Independence  to  pass  by  without  the  recognition  of  at 
least  a  momentary  allusion. 

"  Last  Tuesday  the  Secretary  of  State  made  official  pro- 
clamation to  the  world  that  the  sovereign  authority  of 
the  Republic,  the  Constitution,  has  annihilated  American 
Slavery. 

"  Children  of  Africa,  long  abused  and  outraged,  I  con- 
gratulate you  !  Citizens  of  America,  long  branded  with 
guilt  and  shame,  I  congratulate  you  !  Lovers  of  man- 
kind, long  racked  with  sympathetic  agony,  I  congratulate 
you  !  People  of  the  Most  High  God,  long  closeted  with 
Him  in  prayer,  I  congratulate  you  ! 

"  Glory  be  to  the  Father,  and  to  the  Son,  and  to  the 
Holy  Ghost,  as  it  was  in  the  beginning,  is  now,  and  ever 
shall  be,  world  without  end  ! 

"  Meet  is  it  that  I  offer  you  these  congratulations  on 
the  night  which  is  supposed  to  be  the  birth-night  of  him 
whom  the  Father  hath  annointed  to  bring  good  tidings  to 
the  poor,  to  bind  up  the  broken  hearted,  to  preach  deliv- 
erance to  the  captives  and  the  opening  of  the  prison  doors 
to  them  that  are  bound  to  proclaim  the  acceptable  year  of 
our  God,  even  the  everlasting  year  of  his  jubilee.  Yes,  we 
echo  back  to-night  the  angel  song  of  the  Nativity  :  '  Glory 
to  God  in  the  highest,  on  earth  peace  and  good  will  towards 
men.' 

"  Nor  will  you  deem  it  a  presumption  if  I  slightly  change 
a  sentence  of  the  Battle-Hymn  of  the  Republic,  and  sing 
to-night : 

"  '  In  the  beauty  of  the  lilies  Christ  was  born  across  the  sea, 
With  a  glory  in  his  bosom  which  transfigures  you  and  me  ; 
He  hath  died  to  make  men  holy  :  we  have  lived  to  make  men  free. 
His  truth  is  marching  on  !  ' 

"As  an  expression  of  your  sympathy  with  me  in  the 
solemn  joy  of  this  recognition,  I  ask  you,  instead  of  adopting 
a  set  of  resolutions,  to  rise  now  and  sing  the  one  thousandth 
hymn  of  our  Psalmist;  which  for  the  first  time  in  Ameri- 
can  history  we  can  sing  with  the  grace  of  truth  !  for  it  is 


BI-CEXTEXX/AL    CELEBRATION.  195 

a  hymn  of  liberty,  to  be  sung  not  by  an  enslaved,  but  by  an 
einancipated  Republic. 

"  '  My  Country  'tis  of  Thee.' 

"  As  an  act  of  justice  to  ourselves,  and  for  the  sake  of 
posterity,  who  will  be  proud  in  such  a  remembrance,  I  ask 
the  Clerk  of  the  Church  to  make  a  formal  record  of  this 
recognition  of  the  transcendent  event,  and  deposit  the 
same  in  the  Archives  of  this  venerable  body." 

While  liberty  of  the  body  was  thus  advocated,  the  liberty 
of  the  soul  was  as  precious  to  us  of  Pennsylvania  as  it  was 
to  those  of  Rhode  Island.  I  have  already  stated  the 
early  advocacy  of  our  church  for  liberty  of  worship  for 
the  Catholics  (p.  29). 

In  1774  a  similar  liberty  was  advocated  for  the  Baptists 
of  New  England,  then  suffering  for  conscience'  sake.  Isaac 
Backus,  John  Gano,  James  Manning,  and  others  came  as  a 
delegation  to  Philadelphia  to  present  the  matter  to  Con- 
gt"ess.  Here  they  met  a  hearty  support  from  Dr.  Rogers, 
our  pastor,  Joseph  Moulder,  one  of  our  deacons,  some  of 
the  Quakers,  and  others. 

The  Philadelphia  Association,  then  in  session  (October, 
1774)  in  our  church,  appointed  a  Committee  of  Grievances, 
among  whom  were  Morgan  Edwards,  Thomas  Shields, 
General  Samuel  Miles,  and  other  members  of  our  Church. 
The  delegates  from  New  England  and  from  the  Associa- 
tion met  a  number  of  members  of  the  Continental  Congress 
on  October  14th.  Among  those  present  were  Samuel 
Adams  and  Robert  Treat  Paine,  of  Massachusetts;  Stephen 
Hopkins,  of  Rhode  Island,  whose  trembling  hand  was  soon 
to  sign  the  Declaration  of  Independence;  Thomas  Mifflin, 
of  Pennsylvania  ;  Morgan  Edwards,  William  Rogers,  of  our 
church,  and  others.  James  Manning  presented  a  forcible 
and  logical  plea  for  liberty  of  conscience,  and  described 
the  persecutions  of  the  Baptists  and  the  Friends. 


196  FIRST  BAPTIST  CHURCH. 

John  Adams  has  given  a  vivid  description  of  the  meeting.' 
He  was  quite  angry  at  the  arraignment  of  Massachusetts 
"  before  a  self-created  tribunal."  lie  termed  Israel  Tember- 
ton,one  of  the  Philadelphia  Quakers  who  spoke,  an  "artful 
Jesuit."  He  replied  to  Pemberton's  speech,  and  said  that 
there  was  neither  the  need  nor  the  possibility  of  any  change, 
for 

"  They  might  as  well  turn  the  heavenly  bodies  out  of  their 
annual  and  diurnal  courses  as  the  people  of  Massachusetts 
at  the  present  day  from  their  meeting  house  and  Sunday 
laws." 

But  the  Pennsylvania  and  Rhode  Island  spirit  was 
abroad,  and  fifteen  years  later,  when  the  Constitution  was 
established,  the  principle  of  Soul  Liberty,  for  which  the 
Baptists  especially  had  contended,  was  recognized  by  the 
Constitution,  and  a  new  spiritual  as  well  as  a  new  political 
era  dawned  upon  the  world. 

It  is  proper  also  in  conclusion  to  note  the  activities  of 
our  church,  benevolent  and  otherwise,  as  shown  in  our  last 
annual  Pastor's  Report. 

During  the  year  1897  there  were  noted  96  "Special 
Church  Events,"  including  all  occurrences  in  the  history  of 
the  church  during  the  year  that  were  worthy  of  notice. 
The  Pastor  preached  82  sermons  and  addresses  at  Broad 
and  Arch  Streets,  and  'j'j  sermons  and  addresses  else- 
where. Our  gains  by  baptism  were  31  at  our  church,  18 
at  Immanuel  Mission,  and  2  at  Baltimore  Avenue  Mission. 
At  Broad  and  Spruce  Streets  the  Salvation  Army  used  the 
Beth  Eden  building  for  454  services,  with  a  total  in  attend- 
ance of  nearly  64,000,  and  reported  257  conversions. 

During  the  year  the  Pastor  and  his  assistants  paid  and 
received  over  four  thousand  visits. 

1  "  Life  and  Works,"  vol.    ii,  pp.  397-400. 


BI-CENTENNIAL    CELEBRATION.  197 

The  church  has  recorded  nearly  $27,000  contributed  for 
various  religious  and  charitable  purposes,  a  total  which 
does  not  include  by  any  means  the  amount  given  by  the 
members  of  the  church  both  privately  and  publicly. 

The  Bible  School  reports  a  total  of  583  scholars,  in- 
cluding 40  Chinese,  and  it  should  be  stated  to  the  credit 
of  the  Chinese  that  they  contributed  $72.76,  all  of  which 
went  to  benevolent  purposes,  an  average  of  nearly  $2.00 
apiece.  Besides  this,  the  school  gave  nearly  $1000  for 
benevolent  purposes,  and  expended,  in  addition,  $1000 
in  the  support  of  the  school.  The  average  attendance  of 
the  583  scholars  was  392,  and  there  were  26  baptisms. 

Among  other  Societies  in  the  church  should  be  enumer- 
ated the  following : 

1.  The  "  Woman's  Auxiliary,"  whose  object  is  the  cul- 
tivation of  Christian  character  and  the  advancement  of  the 
Lord's  kingdom.  It  reports  the  work  of  the  various  de- 
partments as  follows  : 

{a)  The  Dorcas  Department,  organized  in  1840,  dis- 
tributed over  two  thousand  garments  during  the  year  at 
a  cost  of  $550,  and  packages  and  barrels  in  value 
amounting  to  nearly  $800. 

ib)  The  Missionary  Department  raised  for  Foreign 
Missions  $470,  and  for  Home  Missions  $442. 

[c)  The  Devotional  Department  has  held  monthly  de- 
votional meetings. 

{d)  The  Social  Department,  whose  name  indicates  its 
function. 

2.  The  "  Young  People's  Society  of  Christian  En- 
deavor," organized  November,  1887,  with  Lookout,  Prayer- 
meeting,  Social,  Visiting,  Music,  Mission,  Flower,  and 
Literature  Committees  all  in  active  operation. 

3.  The  "  Banner  Circle  of  King's  Sons,"  organized  Octo- 
ber, 1 89 1. 

4.  The  "  Girls'  Guild,"  organized  October,  1892. 


igS  FIRST  BAPTIST  CJIUKCH. 

5.  The  "  Boardman  Boys'  Guild,"  organized  May,  1 893. 

6.  The  "  Helping  Circle  of  King's  Daughters,"  organ- 
ized November,  1892. 

7.  The  "  Baptist  Boys'  Brigade,"  organized  1895. 

8.  The  "  Whatsoever   Circle  of  Kings'  Daughters,"  or- 
ganized November,  1893. 

9.  The  "Junior  Christian  Endeavor  Society,"  organized 
December  8,  1896. 

10.  The  "  Young  People's  Society  for  Christian  Cul- 
ture," organized  1897. 

11.  With  the  opening  of  the  new  century  of  church 
activity  the  pastor  is  about  to  organize  "  The  Men's  League 
for  Social  Service,"  for  which  already  1 17  names  have  been 
handed  in.  Its  membership  is  restricted  to  those  between 
twenty-one  and  forty  years  of  age- — the  flower  of  the 
church.  The  only  pledge  taken  is  to  pray  daily  for  the  con- 
version of  men  and  to  speak  each  week  to  some  man  as  to 
attendance  at  the  services  of  God's  house  or  on  the  subject 
of  personal  religion.  At  their  monthly  meetings  they  will 
discuss  matters  connected  with  religion  and  sociology. 

In  addition  to  these,  the  Immanuel  Mission,  at  Twenty- 
third  and  Summer  Streets,  reported  18  baptisms  and  174 
members.  The  chapel  was  refurnished  at  an  expense  of 
$1 132.24,  which  the  members  raised  or  gave.  Out  of  their 
poverty  they  gave  to  benevolent  objects  S304.54,  to  which 
the  Sunday  School  added  $79.33.  Their  Bible  School 
numbers  367.  There  is  also  a  Young  People's  Society  of 
Christian  Endeavor,  which  gave  away  $59.83,  held  43 
praj'er-meetings,  paid  over  one  thousand  visits  to  the  sick, 
and  distributed  261  bouquets  to  them;  an  Immanuel  Mis- 
sion Circle,  which,  besides  numerous  interesting  meetings, 
contributed  $82.37  ''"'  money  to  the  cause;  two  Junior 
Societies  of  Christian  Endeavor,  whose  benevolent  con- 
tributions aggregated  $27  ;  and  a  society  called  "  Farther 
Lights."     Later  in  this  volume  a  brief  history  of  each  of 


BI- CENTENNIA L    CELEBRA  TION.  1 99 

the  societies  in  our  church  and  the  Iinmanuel  Mission  will 
be  given. 

The  Baltimore  Avenue  Mission,  organized  January,  1881, 
since  the  last  report  (1897),  as  has  already  been  noticed, 
has  become  an  independent  church,  with  Rev.  Joseph  A. 
Bennett  as  pastor,  and  therefore  its  activities  are  not 
recorded  here. 

My  task  is  done. 

The  History  of  the  First  Baptist  Church  of  the  City  of 
Philadelphia,  as  you  have  seen,  is  a  record  of  human  frail- 
ties and  human  narrowness  which  may  well  be  a  cause  of 
sorrow  and  humiliation  to  us,  and  make  us  ware  of  any 
false  pride  based  upon  an  ancient  ecclesiastical  lineage. 
But  it  is  also  a  record  of  memorable  and  noble  deeds  by 
which  the  world  has  been  made  better :  the  heathen  have 
heard  the  Gospel  of  the  Son  of  God  ;  the  Bible  has  been 
spread  broadcast  at  home  and  abroad  ;  Baptist  principles 
have  been  strengthened  and  diffused;  the  youth  of  the 
church  have  been  educated ;  many  new  churches  have 
arisen  as  new  centers  of  religious  life  and  growth  ;  the 
orphan,  the  aged,  and  the  incurable  have  been  cared 
for  ;  Christian  character  has  been  developed  ;  and  thousands 
of  sinners  have  turned  to  the  Lord  their  God. 

This  venerable  Church  has  been  a  potent  factor  in  the 
history  and  development  of  the  Baptists  of  America,  and 
its  life  is  a  part  of  the  life  of  the  Baptist  Church.  Its  min- 
isters have  been  for  the  most  part  men  of  national  and  even 
international  renown,  and  consecrated  men  of  God  who 
have  known  one  chief  mission — declaring  the  message  of 
the  Lord  Christ  to  perishing  thousands.  Its  membership 
of  two  centuries, — would  that  I  could  have  named  the  many 
whom  in  imagination  I  can  see,  with  faces  radiant  with  the 
joys  of  Paradise,  surrounding  us  in  angelic  halo! — in  spite 
of  their  many  faults,  were  men  and  women  of  sturd}'  faith, 


200  FIRST  BAPTIST  CHURCH. 

devoted  lives,  and  generous  impulses  ;  planning  large  things 
in  days  of  weakness,  and  cherishing  high  ideals,  which,  if 
they  were  not  wholly  realized,  yet  helped  them  upward, 
and  will  help  us  also  on  the  rugged  pathway  toward  better 
things. 

What  the  next,  our  third,  century  may  witness — a  cen- 
tury the  like  of  which  has  never  yet  been  seen — depends 
upon  ourselves.  The  Church  must  then  grapple  not  only 
with  the  forces  of  Satan  in  the  religious  field,  but  also 
with  Socialism,  with  Anarchism,  Avith  the  Labor  Problem, 
with  the  Sabbath  Question,  the  Bible  Question,  the  Evan- 
gelization of  our  new  possessions  in  both  the  Eastern  and 
the  Western  hemispheres,  and  many  other  similar  problems 
pressing  for  solution,  and  that  \\\\\  not  wait.  We  must 
assist  in  their  solution. 

If  we  are  true  to  our  Master,  and  worthy  of  our  splendid 
inheritance,  we  shall  not  be  satisfied  with  a  past  history, 
but  only  with  future  achievements  ;  not  be  content  to  live 
for  ourselves,  but  for  mankind  ;  not  lie  down  in  ease,  but 
gird  up  our  loins  for  the  work  of  God. 


BIOGRAPHICAL  SKETCHES  OE  THE  PASTORS  OE 
THE  FIRST  BAPTIST  CHURCH/ 


I.  Rev.  John  Watts,  the  second  pastor  of  Pennepek  and 
our  first  joint  pastor,  was  born  November  3,  1661,  at  Lydd, 
or  Leeds,  in  the  County  of  Kent,  England,  and  came  to 
America  about  the  year  1686.  He  was  baptized  at  Penne- 
pek November  21,  1687,  by  Elias  Keach,  and  was  one  of 
the  first  four  converts  at  that  place,  and  a  constituent  of 
the  church.  He  early  gave  evidence  of  decided  talents; 
and  the  same  year  the  church  was  organized,  he  was  called 
to  the  ministry.  His  labors  proved  so  acceptable  that 
when  Mr.  Keach  resigned,  Mr.  Watts  was  chosen  pastor. 
He  was  assisted  in  his  duties  by  Messrs.  Evan  Morgan, 
Samuel  Jones,  and  Joseph  Wood — the  latter  brethren 
officiating  when  Mr.  Watts  w^as  called  to  other  places. 
He  preached  in  Philadelphia  as  early  as  1695.  He  was 
chosen  the  first  pastor  of  our  church  upon  its  organization 
December  1 1,  1698,  officiating  both  at  Pennepek  and  Phila- 
delphia. 

Mr.  Watts  was  a  sound  divine,  and  a  man  of  some  learn- 
ing. He  wrote  a  book,  called  "  Davis  Disabled,"  in  reply 
to  the  heresies  of  a  person  named  William  Davis,  who  had 

1  These  sketches,  down  to  and  including  Morgan  Edwards,  are  derived 
chiefly  from  Morgan  Edwards'  "Materials,"  etc.  For  the  lives  of  the  later 
Pastors  I  have  availed  myself  largely  of  the  sketches  in  H.  G.  Jones'  "  His- 
tory of  the  Lower  Dublin  Baptist  Church,"  in  the  "Baptist  Encyclopedia," 
and  in  the  published  lives  of  several  of  them,  etc.  Many  personal  details  and 
incidents  in  the  pastorates  of  each  will  be  found  in  the  Historical  Address. 
These  sketches  are  intended  only  to  complete  details  not  found  there. 

201 


202  FJKST  BAPTIST  CnUKCIL 

been  a  member  of  Pennepek.  This  work  was  never  printed. 
He  also  wrote  a  Catechism  and  Confession  of  Faith,  which 
was  printed  in  1700 — the  earliest  Baptist  publication  of  the 
kind  in  America. 

The  pastorate  of  Mr.  Watts  continued  from  December 
10,  1690,  to  August  27,  1702,  when  he  died,  in  the  forty- 
first  year  of  his  age.  He  was  buried  in  the  graveyard  in 
the  rear  of  the  meeting-house,  and  his  tombstone  has  on 
it  the  following  acrostic  inscription  : 

"  /ntered  here  I  be 
O  that  you  could  now  see, 
iTbw  unto  Jesus  for  to  flee 
NoX.  in  sin  still  to  be. 
framing  in  time  pray  take 
^nd  peace  by  Jesus  make 
Then  at  the  last  when  you  awake 
6'ure  on  his  right  hand  you'l  partake." 

H.  Rev.  Evan  Morgan,  our  second  joint  pastor,  was 
born  in  Wales,  and  came  to  America  at  an  early  period. 
He  was  a  Quaker,  but  left  them  with  George  Keith's  party 
in  1691.  He  was  baptized  in  1697  by  Thomas  Rutter,  a 
Keithian  Baptist  minister,  at  Southampton,  Bucks  County, 
and,  the  same  year,  renouncing  his  Quakerism,  he  was 
received  into  Pennepek.  He  was  called  to  the  ministry 
in  1702,  and  was  ordained  October  23,  1706,  by  Rev. 
Thomas  Killingworth  and  Rev.  Thomas  Griffiths. 

Mr.  Morgan  died  on  the  16th  of  February,  1709,  and 
was  buried  at  Pennepek.     He  was  a  smart,  intelligent  man. 

HI.  Rev.  Samuel  Jones,  our  third  joint  pastor,  was  born 
July  9,  1657,  in  the  parish  of  Llanddwi,  and  County  of 
Radnor,  Wales,  and  came  to  America  about  1686.  He 
was  baptized  in  Wales,  in  the  year  1683,  by  Henry  Gregory, 
of  Radnorshire,  and  was  a  constituent  of  the  Pennepek 
Church.  He  was  called  to  the  ministry  in  1697,  and  was 
ordained  October  23,  1706,  at  the  same  time  as  Evan 
Morgan,  with  whom  he  had  joint  charge  of  the  church. 


BI-CENTENNIAL    CELEB  RATIO  X.  203 

Mr.  Jones  died  on  the  3d  of  February,  1722,  and  is 
buried  at  Pennepek. 

The  ground  on  which  that  meeting-house  stands  was 
given  by  him  ;  and  he  also  gave  to  the  Church  a  number 
of  valuable  books.  [He  must  not  be  confounded  with  the 
ninth  pastor  of  Pennepek,  Rev.  Samuel  Jones,  D.D.,  born 
in  1735,  and  a  much  more  distinguished  man.] 

IV.  Rkv.  Joseph  Wood,  our  fourth  joint  pastor,  was 
born  in  1659,  near  Hull,  in  Yorkshire,  England,  and  came 
to  America  about  the  year  1684.  He  was  baptized  by  Mr. 
Keach,  at  Burlington,  New  Jersey,  July  24,  1691,  and  was 
ordained  September  25,  1708,  at  which  time  he  assisted 
Messrs.  Morgan  and  Jones  in  the  ministry.  He  died  Sep- 
tember 15,  1747,  and  was  buried  at  Cold  Spring,  Bucks 
County. 

V.  Rev.  Abel  Morgan,  our  fifth  joint  pastor,  was  born 
in  the  year  1673,  at  Alltgoch,  in  the  parish  of  Llanwenog, 
Cardiganshire,  South  Wales,  and  entered  on  the  ministry 
in  the  year  1692.  He  commenced  preaching  at  the  age  of 
nineteen,  and  was  ordained  at  Blaenegwent,  in  Monmouth- 
shire. Enoch  Morgan,  the  third  Pastor  of  the  Welsh 
Tract  Church,  was  his  younger  brother;  and  Benjamin 
Griffith,  of  Montgomery,  was  his  half-brother.  They 
were  all  descended  from  Morgan  Ap  Ryddarch. 

He  came  to  America  in  171 1,  reaching  Philadelphia  on 
February  14th,  and  was  called  to  the  care  of  Pennepek 
Church,  preaching  alternately  there  and  at  Philadelphia, 
with  great  acceptance. 

In  addition  to  his  duties  as  a  minister,  he  gave  himself 
to  the  work  of  an  author,  and  prepared,  in  the  Welsh 
language,  "A  Concordance  of  the  Holy  Scriptures."  He 
did  not,  however,  live  to  see  it  published  ;  but  it  was 
printed  in  1 730,  and  contains  an  introduction  by  his 
brother,  Enoch.  Mr.  Morgan  also  prepared  a  Welsh 
"  Confession   of  Faith,"  which    was    published.     He   died 


204  FIRST  BAPTIST  CHURCH. 

December  i6,  1722,  at  the  age  of  forty-nine  years.  His 
remains  are  now  interred  in  the  lot  of  the  First  Baptist 
Church  of  Philadelphia,  in  Mount  Moriah  Cemetery.  His 
tombstone  is  shown  in  figure  8,  page  28.  [He  must  not 
be  confounded  with  the  other  Abel  Morgan,  the  son  of  his 
brother  Enoch,  who  was  a  much  abler  and  more  distin- 
guished man.] 

VI.  Rev.  Jenkin  Jones,  our  sixth  joint  pastor,  and  first 
separate  pastor,  was  born  about  the  year  1686,  in  the  par- 
ish of  Llandydoch,  Pembrokeshire,  Wales,  and  came  to 
America  in  17 10.  Pie  became  Pastor  of  the  Pennepek 
Church  June  17,  1726;  but  resided  in  Philadelphia,  and 
officiated  for  the  church  there,  which  was  styled  a  branch 
of  Pennepek.  He  had  William  Kinnersley  as  one  of  his 
assistants,  and  also  Joseph  Wood,  who  aided  as  well  as  he 
could.  Mr.  Kinnersley  was  born  near  Leominster,  in 
Herefordshire,  England,  in  1669;  and  came  to  America 
September  12,  1714.  He  was  never  ordained.  He  died 
on  February  13,  1734,  and  is  buried  at  Pennepek.  His 
son,  Ebenezer  Kinnersley,  was  baptized  at  Pennepek,  and 
became  a  minister,  but  was  more  distinguished  as  a  Pro- 
fessor in  the  College  of  Philadelphia,  and  for  his  attain- 
ments as  a  philosopher,  having  made,  in  connection  with 
Dr.  Franklin,  many  important  discoveries  in  electricity. 

Mr.  Jones  continued  to  be  the  joint  pastor  until  May  3, 
1746,  when  he  was  dismissed  to  become  one  of  the  con- 
stituent members  of  the  Philadelphia  Church,  which  was 
organized  on  May  15,  1746.  He  became  our  first  separate 
pastor,  and  continued  as  such  until  July  6,  1760,  when  he 
died,  at  the  age  of  seventy-four  years.  His  remains  now 
repose  in  Mount  Moriah  Cemetery.  Figure  10,  page  40, 
shows  his  tombstone. 

VII.  Rev.  Morgan  Edwards,  A.M. — 

"Was  born  May  9,  1722,  in  the  parish  of  Trevethin,  and 
County  of  Monmouth.  Was  bred  a  churchman.  Embraced 


BI-CENTENNIAL    CELEBRATION.  205 

the  principles  of  the  baptists  in  1738.  Had  his  grammar 
learning  in  Wales.  His  academical  in  Bristol  under  Dr.  Fos- 
kett.  Entered  on  the  ministry  in  the  fifteenth  year  of  his  age. 
Was  ordained  June  i,  1757,  in  Ireland,  where  he  resided 
nine  years.  He  married  Mary  Nun,  of  Cork,  by  whom  he 
had  many  children,  two  of  which  are  alive,  William  and 
Joshuah.  The  eldest  is  now  in  Rhodeisland  College. 
Mr.  Edwards  arrived  in  Philadelphia  May  23,  1761  ;  and 
has  had  the  over  sight  of  the  church  ever  since.  He  pub- 
lished (i)  'A  Farewell  Sermon'  at  Rye  in  Sussex  in 
1760,  which  has  been  twice  printed.  (2)  '  An  Ordination 
Sermon,'  delivered  in  the  College  of  Philadelphia,  January 
8,  1763  ;  with  'A  Narrative  of  the  Manner  in  Which  the 
Ordination  w^as  Conducted  '  [Appendix  K].  (3)  '  The  Cus- 
toms of  Primitive  Churches,'  being  a  set  of  precepts  and 
precedents  relative  to  ministerial  offices.  (4)  'A  New 
Year's  Gift,'  published  at  Philadelphia,  January  i,  1770, 
which  has  passed  through  four  editions.  He  laboured  hard 
to  settle  a  baptist  college  in  Rhodeisland  government 
and  to  raise  money  to  endow  it;  which  he  deems  the 
greatest  service  he  has  done  or  hoped  to  do  for  the  honour 
of  the  baptist  interest."^ 

To  these  publications  is  to  be  added  his  "  Materials 
towards  a  history  of  the  American  Baptists  in  twelve  vol- 
umes," of  w^hich  the  first  volume  (Pennsylvania)  was  pub- 
lished in  1770,  the  New  Jersey  volume  in  1 792,  and  the 
Delaware  volume  by  the  Pennsylvania  Historical  Society  in 
the  "  Pennsylvania  Magazine  of  History  and  Biography," 
volume  IX,  pages  45  and  197,  with  an  introductory  note  by 
Horatio  Gates  Jones.  The  manuscript  of  the  Rhodeisland 
volume  is  in  the  library  of  the  Rhode  Island  Historical 
Society,  and  was  published  in  volume  VI  of  their  Collec- 
tion, in  1867. 

In  1763  the  University  of  Pennsylvania,  and  in  1769 
Brown  University,  bestowed  upon  him  the  degree  of  A.M. 
His  pastorate  of  our  church  terminated  in   1772,  when  he 

^  Morgan  Edwards'  "  Materials,"  etc.,  pp.  47,  48. 


2o6  FIRST  BAPTIST  CIIUKCH. 

devoted  himself  to  an  evangelist's  life.  His  remarkable 
services  to  our  church,  and  to  the  whole  Baptist  cause  in 
America,  are  more  fully  stated  in  the  "  Historical  Address." 
He  died  in  Pencador,  Delaware,  January  28,  1795.  His 
tombstone  is  shown  in  figure  13,  page  50. 

Vni.  Rev.  William  Rogers,  D.D.,  was  born  in  New- 
port, Rhode  Island,  July  22,  175  i.  He  was  fitted  for  col- 
lege by  Rev.  M.  Hutchinson,  a  Congregational  minister  of 
Grafton,  Massachusetts.  He  was  the  first,  and  for  nine 
months  and  seventeen  days  the  only,  student  of  Rhode 
Island  College  (Brown  University).  He  graduated  in  1769, 
and  in  May,  1772,  was  ordained  pastor  of  the  Philadelphia 
Church.  He  was  a  member  of  the  General  Assembly  in 
18 16  to  1 8 17.  His  career  and  the  honors  he  received  are 
stated  in  the  "Historical  Address."  His  tombstone  is 
shown  in  figure  15,  page  59. 

IX.  Rev.  Elhanan  Winchester  was  born  in  Brookline, 
Massachusetts,  September  19,  1757.  He  led  an  itinerant 
life  as  a  preacher,  and  had  five  matrimonial  adventures  by 
the  time  he  had  reached  thirty-two  years  of  age.  He 
became  our  minister  October  7,  1780,  and  soon  afterward 
announced  that  he  upheld  the  doctrine  of  the  "  universal 
restoration  of  bad  men  and  angels  from  hell."  The  re- 
sults of  this  are  narrated  in  the  "  Historical  Address," 
page  66.  After  his  dismission  he  preached  for  four  years, 
with  success,  in  the  hall  of  the  University  of  Pennsylvania, 
visited  PLngland  and  traveled  extensively  in  this  country 
as   a  preacher.     He  died  in    Hartford,  Connecticut,  April 

18.  1797. 

X.  Rev.  Thomas  Ustick  was  born  in  New  York, 
August  30,  1753.  He  graduated  in  1771  from  Brown 
University,  through  which  he  was  aided  by  the  Philadel- 
phia Association.  He  became  our  pastor  in  1782.  He 
died  in  Burlington,  New  Jersey,  in  1803.  P^igure  19,  page 
70,  shows  his  tombstone. 


BICENTENNIAL    CELEBRATION.  207 

XL  Rev.  William  Staughton,  D.D.,  was  born  at 
Coventry,  England,  January  4,  1770.  Graduated  at  Bristol 
College  in  1792.  Came  to  America  in  1793.  Princeton 
gave  him  the  degree  of  D.D.  when  he  was  twenty-eight 
years  old,  in  1798.  He  became  pastor  of  our  church  in 
1805.  He  resigned  in  181 1  to  become  pastor  of  the  San- 
son! Street  (now  the  Fifth  Baptist)  Church.  His  career  in 
connection  with  our  church  is  narrated  in  the  "  Historical 
Address."  December  10,  1823,  and  again  on  December 
2,  1825.  he  was  elected  Chaplain  to  the  Senate  of  the 
United  States.     He  died  September  12,  1829. 

At  the  age  of  twelve  some  of  his  verses  were  printed. 
At  seventeen  he  published  a  volume  of  "Juvenile  Poems"; 
later  he  edited  an  edition  of  Virgil,  and  prepared  a 
Greek  Lexicon.  He  published  a  number  of  sermons, 
among  which  the  most  noted  is  one  upon  the  death  of 
John  Adams  and  Thomas  Jefferson,  both  of  whom  died 
July  4.  1826.  He  also  delivered  a  eulogium  on  the  death 
of  the  Rev.  Dr.  Samuel  Jones.  His  services  in  connection 
with  the  first  Baptist  Theological  Institution  in  America 
and  with  Columbian  College  are  given  in  the  "  Historical 
Address." 

Xn.  Rev.  Henry  HoLCOMBE,  D.D. ,  was  born  in  Prince 
Edward  County,  Virginia,  September  22,  1762.  He  served 
in  the  Continental  Army,  but  in  later  life  b.ecame  an  ardent 
advocate  of  non-resistance  and  of  extreme  peace  principles. 
He  was  ordained  in  1785,  and  was  pastor  of  several 
churches  in  South  Carolina  and  Georgia.  In  18 10  Brown 
University  conferred  upon  him  the  degree  of  D.D.  He 
became  our  pastor  in  January,  181 2,  and  died,  after  a  brief 
illness,  May  22,  1824.  His  tombstone  is  shown  in  figure 
23,  on  page  78. 

He  was  a  member  of  the  South  Carolina  Convention 
which  ratified  the  Constitution  of  the  United  States.  He 
was  the  founder   of  the   Penitentiary  System   of  Georgia, 


2o8  FJIiSl^  BAPTIST  CHURCH. 

of  the  Savannah  Female  Orphan  Asylum,  and  of  the 
Mt.  Enon  Academy.  He  published  the  "  Analytical 
Repository,"  one  of  the  earliest  Baptist  papers  in  this 
country. 

XIII.  Rev.  William  Theophilus  Brantly,  D.D.,  was 
born  in  Chatham  County,  North  Carolina,  January  23, 
1787,  and  graduated  with  distinction  at  South  Carolina 
College  in  1808,  under  the  Presidency  of  Jonathan  Maxcy, 
who  had  formerly  been  President  of  Brown  University. 
In  1809  he  was  ordained  in  Augusta,  Georgia,  and  was 
successively  pastor  at  Beaufort,  South  Carolina,  and  at 
Augusta,  Georgia.  He  became  our  pastor  in  1826,  and 
was  editor  of  the  "  Columbian  Star."  After  a  pastorate  of 
twelve  years  he  returned  to  the  South  on  account  of  his 
health,  becoming  pastor  of  the  Charleston  Baptist  Church 
and  President  of  the  College  of  Charleston,  South  Caro- 
lina.    He  died  March  28,  1843. 

XIV.  Rev.  George  Barton  Ide,  D.D.,  was  born  in 
Coventry,  Vermont,  February  17,  1804,  and  graduated  at 
Middlebury  College.  He  began  the  study  of  law,  but  on 
becoming  a  Christian  decided  to  preach  the  Gospel.  After 
several  brief  country  pastorates  he  was  called  to  Albany, 
New  York,  where  he  remained  four  years,  and  then  to  the 
Clarendon  Street  Church  in  Boston.  In  1838  he  became 
our  pastor,  and  at  once  assumed  the  foremost  rank  as  a 
preacher.  He  was  recognized  for  years  as  the  most  power- 
ful and  eloquent  preacher  in  this  city.  He  resigned  in 
1852,  and  took  charge  of  the  First  Baptist  Church,  Spring- 
field, Massachusetts.  In  spite  of  two  urgent  calls  to  New 
York,  with  a  large  salary,  he  remained  faithful  to  his 
well-loved  Massachusetts  Church  until  his  death,  April  16, 
1872. 

He  published  two  volumes  of  sermons,  "  Bible  Pictures  " 
and  "  Battle  Echoes,"  and  also  "  Green  Hollow,"  a  Sunday 
School  book. 


BI-CENTENNIAL    CELEBRATION.  209 

XV.  Rev.  Joseph  Hazzard  Cuthbekt,  D.D.,  was  born 
December  13,  1823,  in  Beaufort,  South  Carolina.  He 
graduated  at  Princeton  in  1843,  and,  like  his  predecessor, 
intended  to  study  law.  Upon  his  conversion, — under  the 
preaching  of  his  uncle,  the  eloquent  and  celebrated  Dr. 
Fuller, — in  1844,  he  decided  to  devote  hiiiiself  to  the  min- 
istry. He  was  ordained  in  1847.  In  1855  he  became  our 
pastor.  In  1861  he  removed  to  Augusta,  Georgia,  and 
in  1869  became  the  pastor  of  the  First  Baptist  Church, 
Washington,  D.  C.  He  died  May  6.  1893.  Dr.  Cuthbert 
published  a  biography  of  Dr.  Fuller,  and  also  a  number  of 
papers,  especially  in  the  "  Baptist  Quarterly." 

XVI.  Rev.  George  Dana  Boardman,  D.D.,  LL.D., 
was  born  in  Tavoy,  Burma,  August  18,  1828.  His  par- 
ents were  the  Rev.  George  Dana  and  Sarah  Boardman, 
afterward  the  wife  of  Rev.  Dr.  Judson.  At  six  years  of 
age  he  sailed  for  America,  traveling  the  distance  alone  and 
suffering  many  trials  from  the  unfeeling  crew  of  the  ves- 
sel. He  graduated  at  Brown  University  in  1852,  and  from 
the  Newton  Theological  Institution  in  1855.  He  was 
ordained  in  Barnwell  Court  House,  South  Carolina,  in 
December,  1855.  On  account  of  his  outspoken  condem- 
nation of  the  assault  upon  Charles  Sumner  in  the  United 
States  Senate,  he  was  obliged  to  terminate  this  pastorate 
when  it  had  continued  only  five  months.  In  1856  he 
became  the  pastor  of  the  Second  Baptist  Church  in 
Rochester,  New  York.  On  May  15,  1864,  he  became  our 
pastor,  and  upon  his  resignation,  in  May,  1894,  was  made 
the  Honorary  Pastor,  an  office  which  he  still  holds,  and 
we  trust  will  long  continue  to  hold.  His  career  has  been 
told  much  more  fully  in  the  "  Historical  Address." 


14 


2IO  FIRST  BAPTIST  CHURCH. 

PASTORS  OF  THE  BETH  EDEN  BAPTIST  CHURCH. 
I.  Rev.  James  Wheaton  Smith,  D.D. — At  Dr.  Smith's 
desire  his  portrait  and  his  biography  are  omitted. 

II.  Rev.  John  Wignev  Ash  worth  was  born  in  Leeds^ 
England,  in  1831.  He  was  educated  in  Horton  (Rawdon) 
College.  After  various  pastorates  in  Great  Britain,  he 
came  to  this  country  in  1882.  He  became  the  pastor  of 
Beth  Eden  Church,  in  1882,  but  resigned  in  1883.  He  is 
now  the  pastor  of  the  First  Baptist  Church  in  Ticonderoga, 
N.  Y. 

III.  Rev.  John  Tustin  Beckley,  D.D.,  was  born  in 
Baltimore,  Maryland,  in  1 848.  He  graduated  from  the  High 
School  in  that  State,  and  later  from  the  Columbian  Uni- 
versity and  the  Rochester  Theological  Seminary,  where 
he  then  spent  a  year  in  post-graduate  studies.  In  Sep- 
tember, 1 87 1,  he  became  the  associate  Pastor  of  the  First 
Baptist  Church,  Boston,  and  also  served  on  the  Boston 
School  Board.  He  was  pastor  of  the  church  in  Newbury- 
port  for  six  years,  and  in  September,  1883,  became  the 
pastor  of  the  Beth  Eden  Church.  He  received  his  degree 
of  D.D.  from  the  University  of  Chicago.  During  his  pastor- 
ate here  he  served  for  two  years  as  Chaplain  of  the  Uni- 
versity of  Pennsylvania.  In  June,  1894,  he  became  the 
pastor  of  the  Church  of  the  Epiphany  in  New  York.  At 
present  he  resides  in  Newburyport,  Mass. 


BI-CENTENNIAL    CELEBRATION.  211 

PASTORS  OF  THE  FIRST  BAPTIST  CHURCH 
AFTER  CONSOLIDATION. 

XVIL  Rev.  Frederic  Foye  Briggs,  A.M.,  was  born  in 
Kansas  City,  Missouri,  June  1 1,  1867.  His  father  died  while 
he  was  quite  young,  and  his  mother  was  married  afterward 
to  the  Rev.  Frank  Ellis,  D.D.  Mr.  Briggs  resided  therefore 
with  his  stepfather  in  different  cities  during  his  successive 
pastorates.  During  the  four  years  he  was  in  Boston  he 
attended  the  Boston  Latin  School.  In  October,  1888,  he 
entered  the  Johns  Hopkins  University  in  Baltimore,  and 
graduated  in  June,  1891.  In  the  autumn  of  that  year  he 
entered  the  Crozer  Theological  Seminary,  where  he  gradu- 
ated in  1894.  In  July,  1894,  after  Dr.  Beckley's  resigna- 
tion, Mr.  Briggs  was  asked  to  supply  the  vacant  pulpit  of 
the  Beth  Eden  Church.  He  was  formally  called  to  the  pas- 
torate in  November  of  that  year,  but  owing  to  the  negotia- 
tions looking  toward  consolidation,  Mr.  Briggs  only 
accepted  as  the  stated  supply.  Immediately  after  the  con- 
solidation, however,  Mr.  Briggs  was  elected  the  temporary 
pastor  of  the  consolidated  church.  When  Dr.  Tupper  ac- 
cepted, Mr.  Briggs  became  the  Assistant  Pastor,  in  March, 
1896.  In  November  of  the  same  year  Mr.  Briggs  accepted 
the  call  to  the  Second  Baptist  Church,  Wilmington,  Del., 
an  office  which  he  still  holds.  No  person  has  a  warmer 
place  in  our  hearts  than  our  faithful  temporary  pastor. 

XVIII.  Kerr  Boyce  Tupper,  D.D.,  LL.D.,  was  born 
February  2,  1854,  in  Washington,  Georgia,  where  his  father 
was  pastor  for  twenty  years.  His  mother  was  the  daughter 
of  the  Hon.  Kerr  Boyce,  of  South  Carolina,  and  sister  of 
the  late  Dr.  James  P.  Boyce,  President  of  the  Southern 
Baptist  Theological  Seminary.  His  parents  moved  to 
Virginia,  where  his  father  was  Foreign  Secretary  of  the 
Southern  Baptist  Convention  for  twenty-one  years.  He 
graduated  at  Mercer  University  at  the  age  of  seventeen 


212  FIRST  BAP7VST  CHURCH. 

years.  After  learning  something  of  accounts  and  of  book- 
keeping, he  took  a  theological  course  at  the  vSouthern 
Baptist  Theological  Seminary.  His  first  settlement  was  at 
Charlottesville,  where  his  proximity  to  the  University  of 
Virginia  gave  him  new  scholastic  advantages.  Dr.  Tupper 
has  been  pastor  in  Paducah,  Kentucky,  Chicago,  Illinois, 
Grand  Rapids,  Michigan,  and  Denver,  Colorado.  During 
his  seven  years'  pastorate  at  the  First  Baptist  Church, 
Denver,  the  membership  increased  very  largely,  and  a 
number  of  new  mission  churches  grew  out  of  the  mother 
church. 

Dr.  Tupper  was  called  to  the  pastorate  of  our  church 
on  November  15,  1895,  and  accepted  the  call  on  January 
10,  1896.  The  active  and  vigorous  new  life  with  which  he 
has  inspired  the  church  has  already  been  told  in  the  "  His- 
torical Address." 


OUR  INDEBTEDNESS  TO  THE  FATHERS. 

By  Rev.  HENRY   M.   KING,  D.D., 
Pastor  of  the  First  Baptist  Clnirch,  Providence,  R.  I. 

It  affords  me  great  pleasure  to  be  present  and  participate 
in  the  services  commemorative  of  the  Two  Hundredth 
Anniversary  of  tliis  honored  church.  Having  the  honor 
to  be  the  pastor  of  the  First  Baptist  Church  in  Providence, 
I  am  happy  to  bring  to  you  the  greetings  of  that  venerable 
body,  which  is  generally  believed  by  historians  of  every 
name  to  have  been  the  first  Baptist  church  on  this  con- 
tinent ;  and  if  the  conclusions  of  the  distinguished  President 
of  the  Southern  Baptist  Theological  Seminary  as  to  the 
late  introduction  of  immersion  among  the  Anabaptists  of 
London  are  correct,  it  must  be  accepted  as  the  first  Baptist 
church  of  which  we  have  any  authentic  record  since  the 
first  centuries  of  the  Christian  Era.  We  had  not  contem- 
plated taking  so  great  honor  to  ourselves,  but  hope  to  be 
able  to  wear  with  meekness  any  dignities  that  the  estab- 
lished facts  of  history  may  confer  upon  us,  as  we  shall 
certainly  resist  most  earnestly  any  loss  of  renown  which  an 
unreasonable  inference  may  attempt  to  snatch  from  our 
possession. 

Though  I  come  from  the  State  of  Rhode  Island,  to  which 
we  trace  the  beginnings  of  our  denominational  history 
in  this  country,  on  whose  soil  was  first  undertaken  the 
greatest  of  all  experiments  in  human  government  since 
the  race  of  man  began, — viz.,  the  planting  of  a  free  spiritual 
Church  in  a  free  State,  in  which  conscience  should  be 
utterly  and  forever  untrammeled,  and  citizenship  should  be 
without  religious  tests, — I  do  not  forget  that  I  here  stand  on 

213 


214  FIRST  BAPTIST  CHURCH. 

historic  ground.  Not  only  have  all  of  us,  you  of  the  First 
Church  in  Philadelphia  and  we  of  the  First  Church  in  Provi- 
dence, inherited  a  common  history,  of  which  we  are  justly 
proud,  but  on  your  soil, as  on  ours,  forces  have  been  brought 
into  being  and  into  active  exercise,  which  have  jointly 
helped  to  make  the  history  of  our  people,  during  the  last 
two  centuries  and  more,  what  it  has  been.  There  are  points 
not  only  of  strong  sympathy,  but  of  vital  contact  between 
the  religious  life  of  the  city  of  Brotherly  Love  and  the  life 
of  the  city  of  Providential  Care.  These  points  I  shall  hope 
to  set  before  you  briefly  in  the  remarks  which  I  make  on 
this  anniversary  occasion. 

It  is  a  great  thing  to  have  a  noble  ancestry,  to  have  good 
blood  in  our  veins,  to  have  inherited  the  inspiring  traditions 
and  the  sacred  trusts  of  the  fathers,  who  have  been  men  of 
faith,  of  conviction,  of  self-sacrificing  courage,  of  loyalty  to 
definite  truths  and  great  principles.  But  it  is  a  greater 
thing  to  be  worthy  sons  of  worthy  sires;  to  show  by  our 
fidelity  that  we  appreciate  the  greatness  of  the  inheritance 
which  we  have  received,  and  are  not  unworthy  of  it. 

All  the  Baptists  of  this  new  world  were  a  product,  in 
their  essential  views  and  principles,  of  forces  which  had 
been  working  for  a  hundred  years  and  more  across  the  sea. 
They  were  the  new  world's  harvest  of  the  old  world's  seed- 
sowing.  The  doctrine  of  religious  liberty,  which  is  ac- 
knowledged to  be  "  the  trophy  of  the  Baptists,"  can  be 
traced  back  by  direct  line  to  the  Anabaptists  of  Switzer- 
land, and  to  the  famous  Confession  which  they  issued  at 
Schleitheim  in  1527 — the  first  known  Confession  in  all 
history  in  which  full  liberty  of  conscience  was  demanded 
for  all  men.  The  demand  was  caught  up  and  reiterated  by 
the  Dutch  martyrs,  the  Anabaptists  of  the  Netherlands, 
who  punctuated  their  enunciation  of  it  by  their  dying 
groans;  and  their  escaped  fellow-countrymen,  who  flooded 
the  eastern  counties  of  England,  became  the  heralds  of  the 


BI-CEMTENNIAL    CELEB  RATIO  K.  215 

new  faith  on  English  soil,  and  gave  birth  to  Pilgrims  and 
Quakers  and  Baptists;  all  of  whom,  says  Dr.  William  E. 
Griffis,  are  the  lineal  descendants  of  the  Anabaptists  on  the 
Continent.  The  presses  of  England  were  said  to  groan 
with  the  weight  of  the  numerous  publications  which  were 
issued  by  these  irrepressible  advocates  of  religious  free- 
dom in  the  last  half  of  the  sixteenth  and  the  first  half  of 
the  seventeenth  centuries. 

In  such  an  environment  and  such  an  atmosphere  Roger 
Williams  was  born  and  educated.  He  was  acquainted 
with  the  Dutch  language  and  with  Dutch  ideas;  he  was 
acquainted  with  London  Baptists ;  and  having  accepted 
fully  and  conscientiously  the  new  doctrines  of  human  gov- 
ernment and  human  life  in  relation  to  it,  he  fled  to  the 
new  world  to  give  them  visible  and  practical  illustration. 
Edward  Eggleston,  in  "  The  Beginners  of  a  Nation,"  says  : 

"  Here  at  the  very  outset  of  his  American  life  we  find 
that  Williams  had  already  embraced  the  broad  principle 
that  involved  the  separation  of  Church  and  State,  and  the 
most  complete  religious  freedom,  and  had  characteristically 
pushed  this  principle  to  its  logical  result  some  centuries  in 
advance  of  the  practice  of  his  age." 

And  again  he  says  : 

"  In  the  seventeenth  century  there  was  no  place  but  the 
wilderness  for  such  a  John  Baptist  of  the  distant  future  as 
Roger  Williams.  He  did  not  belong  among  the  diplo- 
matic builders  of  Churches,  like  Cotton,  or  the  politic 
founders  of  States,  like  Winthrop.  He  was  but  a  babbler 
to  his  own  time,  but  the  prophetic  voice  rings  clear  and 
far,  and  ever  clearer  as  the  ages  go  on." 

Finding  on  his  arrival  little  sympathy  with  his  advanced 
views  among  the  Puritan  magistrates,  he  fled  again,  not 
voluntarily,  but  driven  by  legislative  compulsion,  into  the 
untrodden  wilderness,  where,  without  let  or  hindrance,  he 
inaugurated  his  "lively  experiment"  of  a  free  State  whose 


2i6  FJRST  BAPTIST  CHURCH. 

corner-stone  was  soul-liberty.  I  need  not  repeat  the  well- 
worn  acknowledgments  of  Locke,  and  Story,  and  Ban- 
croft, and  Uinian,  and  many  others,  to  the  leadership  of 
the  Baptists,  and  of  Williams,  their  immortal  representa- 
tive, in  the  progress  of  religious  freedom  among  men. 
Every  fresh  and  impartial  investigation  does  but  confirm 
the  judgments  of  the  past,  and  add  new  luster  to  the  shin- 
ing names  of  the  fathers. 

Dr.  Leonard  Woolsey  Bacon,  in  his  recent  able  "  His- 
tory of  American  Christianity,"  adds  his  unsolicited  testi- 
mony to  their  honorable  and  conspicuous  service  in  securing 
the  religious  rights  of  all  men  among  us  : 

"  So  far  as  this  work  was  a  work  of  intelligent  faith,  the 
chief  honor  of  it  must  be  given  to  the  Baptists.  Other 
sects,  notably  the  Presbyterians,  had  been  energetic  and 
efficient  in  demanding  their  own  liberties;  the  Friends  and 
the  Baptists  agreed  in  demanding  liberty  of  conscience 
and  worship,  and  equality  before  the  law,  for  all  alike. 
But  the  active  labor  in  this  cause  was  mainly  done  by  the 
Baptists.  It  is  to  their  consistency  and  constancy  in  the 
warfare  against  the  privileges  of  the  powerful  Standing 
Order  of  New  England,  and  the  moribund  Establishments 
of  the  South  that  we  are  chiefly  indebted  for  the  final 
triumph  in  this  country  of  that  principle  of  the  separation 
of  Church  from  State,  which  is  one  of  the  largest  contribu- 
tions of  the  New  World  to  civilization  and  to  the  Church 
universal." 

They  nobly  pushed  to  completion  what  their  leader  and 
his  companions  in  tribulation  and  exile  had  nobly  begun. 
They  crowned  the  arch  amid  the  acclamations  of  a  great 
people,  whose  foundations  were  laid  amid  opposition  and 
persecution  and  contempt.  The  Hon.  Oscar  S.  Straus,  in 
his  recent  monograph,  "  Religious  Liberty  in  the  United 
States,"  reiterates  the  strong  praises  which  his  pen  had 
already  published  to  the  world  in  "  Roger  Williams,  the 
Pioneer  of  Religious  Liberty." 


BI-  CEN  TENNIAL    CEL  EBRA  77 ON.  2 1 7 

"  Let  US  tarry  a  moment  in  Rhode  Island,  the  land  where 
the  banner  of  religious  liberty  was  first  unfurled.  In  the 
middle  of  winter,  1636,  a  solitary  pilgrim  might  have  been 
seen  wandering  through  the  primeval  forests  of  New  Eng- 
land, an  exile  from  the  territory  of  the  Massachusetts 
Puritans,  seeking  a  place  of  refuge  from  ecclesiastical 
tyranny,  where  he  and  all  men  might  worship  God  accord- 
ing to  the  dictates  of  their  consciences.  At  that  time 
throughout  the  whole  civilized  world  there  was  no  such 
land.  The  colonists  of  Virginia  were  strict  conformists  to 
the  rites  of  the  Church  of  England.  There  was  less  free- 
dom there  than  in  England.  The  settled  portions  of  New 
England  were  domineered  over  by  the  Puritans  and  the 
Pilgrim  Fathers,  who  had  left  their  English  home  to 
escape  ecclesiastical  tyranny  only  to  set  up  a  greater 
tyranny  of  their  own.  This  pilgrim,  the  first  true  type  of 
an  American  freeman,  the  trusted  and  trustworthy  friend 
of  the  savage  Indian,  the  benefactor  of  all  mankind,  was 
Roger  Williams,  who  accomplished  what  no  one  before 
this  ever  had  the  courage  and  wisdom,  combined  w'xih  the 
conviction  of  the  broadest  liberty,  even  to  attempt;  to 
found  a  purely  secular  state  '  as  a  shelter  for  the  poor  and 
the  persecuted  according  to  their  several  persuasions.' 
The  time,  let  us  hope,  is  not  far  off,  when  the  civilized 
people  in  the  remotest  corners  of  the  world,  will  recognize 
the  truth  and  power  of  the  principles  which  throw  around 
the  name  of  Roger  Williams  a  halo  of  imperishable  glory 
and  fame." 

Mr.  Straus  has  fallen  into  the  too  common  error  of  plac- 
ing the  Pilgrims  and  Puritans  in  the  same  category,  as  if 
they  occupied  the  same  plane  of  political  conviction  and 
were  animated  by  the  intolerant  spirit  to  the  same  degree. 
The  Pilgrims  were  in  advance  of  the  Puritans  in  their 
views  of  liberty,  but  were  restrained  in  their  conduct  by 
fear  of  their  stronger  neighbors.  But  Mr.  Straus  has  com- 
mitted no  error  in  placing  upon  the  brow  of  Roger 
Williams  a  crown  of  fadeless  and  increasing  glory.  He 
was  the  fully  ripened  freeman,  the  statesman  of  divinely 
illumined  vision,  the  Pilgrim  of  the  Pilgrims,  who  grasped 


2i8  FIRST  BAPTIST  CHURCH. 

the  sublime  idea  of  freedom  of  conscience  "  in  its  full  pro- 
portions, in  all  its  completeness,  and  carried  it  out,  unflinch- 
ingly, to  its  remotest  legitimate  results,"  to  use  words 
from  the  eloquent  oration  of  Senator  Anthony  at  the  dedi- 
cation of  the  Williams  Memorial  in  the  national  Capitol 
at  Washington. 

And  Roger  Williams  belongs  to  the  Baptists  of  America. 
By  his  great  act  of  obedience  to  the  initial  rite  of  the  gos- 
pel, of  which  there  is  no  more  doubt  than  there  is  of  the 
immersion  of  the  Apostle  Paul ;  by  his  leadership  in  the 
founding  of  the  first  Baptist  church  on  this  continent,  and 
his  well-known  belief  in  the  spiritual  nature  of  a  Christian 
church  ;  by  the  unbroken  tradition  in  the  church  which  he 
founded  and  in  the  community  which  has  grown  up  around 
it;  and  by  the  unvarying  testimony  of  all  historians,  sacred 
and  secular,  Roger  Williams  belongs  to  us.  Though  he 
withdrew  after  a  time  from  outward  connection  with  the 
church  which  he  founded,  by  reason  of  his  overscrupu- 
lousness  about  the  right  of  Christians  to  revive  the  institu- 
tions of  primitive  Christianity  which  a  corrupt  church  had 
vitiated  and  destroyed,  he  never  withdrew  from  those  inter- 
pretations and  beliefs  which  are  the  characteristic  and  essen- 
tial principles  of  our  denominational  life.  Appreciation 
of  his  character  and  illustrious  service,  and  the  gratitude 
which  such  appreciation  inspires,  and  a  commendable  pride 
in  our  denominational  history,  and  in  the  achievements  of 
the  past,  ought  to  constrain  every  loyal  American  Baptist 
to  honor  the  name  of  our  great  founder,  to  write  it  high 
among  the  leaders  of  our  faith  and  the  promoters  of 
human  progress,  and  to  hold  it  there. 

Williams  did  not  labor  single-handed  and  alone.  There 
were  many  helpers  in  the  gradual  establishment  of  that 
great  principle  which  is  now  the  fundamental  law  of  this 
republic,  and  the  common  glory  of  the  people.  His  asso- 
ciates  in  Providence,  and  especially  Dr.  John    Clarke  and 


BI-CENTENNIAL    CELEBRATION.  219 

his  Newport  coadjutors,  all  those  martyrs  of  our  faith 
who,  in  the  defence  of  their  inalienable  rights  were  fined, 
imprisoned,  and  whipped  in  Puritan  Massachusetts,  and  in 
Episcopalian  Virginia  as  well,  are  worthy  of  our  undy- 
ing gratitude.  We  do  not  forget  the  conscientious  and 
friendly  aid  of  the  Presbyterians  of  the  South,  and  of  the 
Quakers  everywhere.  All  honor  to  Lord  Baltimore  for 
his  spirit  of  religious  toleration,  which  was  the  more  con- 
spicuous because  it  was  so  exceptional  in  the  Church  with 
which  he  was  identified.  And  on  this  occasion  and  in  this 
community  we  gladl}^  emphasize  the  name  and  the  service 
of  that  gentle  spirit,  who  sought  to  lay  the  foundations  of 
his  new  colony  in  peace  and  brotherly  love  toward  all 
men;  that  Friend  indeed,  whose  tolerant  spirit  left  its  happy 
impress  upon  the  thought  and  legislation  and  life  of  his 
descendants,  and  helped  the  cause  of  religious  freedom  in 
all  the  land.  William  Penn  was  seven-eighths  a  Baptist, 
not  simply  in  the  sense  of  the  old  affirmation  that  "  all 
Quakers  are  dry  Baptists,"  but  his  English  father  was 
probably  a  Baptist,  and  his  Dutch  mother  was  an  Ana- 
baptist, and  by  all  the  laws  of  heredity  he  should  have 
been  in  our  fold  and  borne  our  name.  As  it  was,  the  prin- 
ciples which  have  distinguished  him  he  inherited  from  a 
Baptist  ancestry,  and  to  use  a  geologic  term,  he  had  a  mani- 
fest "  dip"  in  that  direction. 

For  the  priceless  liberties,  therefore,  which  we  enjoy,  let 
us  never  forget  that  we  are  indebted  to  the  divine  illumina- 
tions, to  the  far-seeing  statesmanship,  to  the  courageous 
convictions,  to  the  patient  sufferings  of  the  fathers,  and 
that  we  are  under  the  most  solemn  obligations  to  preserve 
them  unimpaired  against  all  insidious  assaults  which  may 
be  made  upon  them,  and  to  extend  them  immediately  and 
without  compromise  to  the  new  possessions  which  in  the 
providence  of  God  have  come  to  the  nation.  Full  religious 
liberty  must  never  fail  to  go  with  the  flag. 


220  FIRST  BAPTIST  CHURCH. 

We  are  indebted  to  the  fathers,  also,  for  their  firm 
grasp,  and  clear-cut  and  able  enunciations,  of  the  great 
doctrines  of  grace  and  salvation.  Their  insistence  upon 
the  rights  of  conscience  and  private  judgment  did  not  grow 
out  of  any  looseness  of  belief,  or  denial  of  the  supreme 
authority  of  the  word  of  God,  or  lawlessness  of  conduct, 
as  has  sometimes  been  the  case,  nor  did  it  give  birth  to 
such  pernicious  offspring.  Though  advocating  the  right 
of  all  men  to  think  and  believe  for  themselves,  they  insisted 
upon  the  supremacy  of  revealed  truth  in  the  whole  realm 
of  religious  faith.  Though  disclaiming  the  binding  power 
of  Councils  and  Creeds,  they  did  not  hesitate  to  formulate 
Confessions  of  their  own,  when  occasion  seemed  to  require, 
to  show  to  the  world  that  they  were  not  free  lances  in  the- 
ology ;  that  they  were  free  to  think,  but  not  freethinkers  ; 
to  give  public  expression  to  the  positions  which,  in  loving 
and  intelligent  fealty  to  the  truth,  they  were  constrained  to 
hold,  in  order  that  the  Christian  and  the  non-Christian 
world  might  know  who  they  were,  and  for  what  they  stood, 
and  also  to  form  a  basis  of  voluntary  association,  and  to  aid 
in  the  clarification  of  doctrine  and  the  enforcement  of 
obedience  among  themselves. 

There  was  the  first  Confession,  issued  at  Schleitheim,  to 
which  reference  has  already  been  made — that  splendid 
enunciation  of  human  rights,  which  was  so  far  in  advance 
of  the  general  faith  of  Christendom.  The  English  Bap- 
tists promulgated  their  Confessions,  both  the  General 
(1614)  and  the  Particular  (1644),  by  which  they  outlined 
their  scriptural  position  against  the  background  of  the 
seventeenth  century,  as  clear  and  distinct  as  a  silhouette. 
The  famous  "Testimony"  of  John  Clarke,  of  Newport, 
which  was  arranged  in  formal  propositions  with  proof  texts 
attached,  though  the  confession  of  himself  and  his  fellow- 
prisoners,  Obadiah  Holmes  and  John  Crandall,  when  under 
arrest  in  Boston  in  165  i  for  preaching  their  faith  in  a  pri- 


BI-CENTENNIAL    CELEBRATION.  221 

vate  house,  was  undoubtedly  a  true  expression  of  the  belief 
of  Baptists  on  both  sides  of  the  Atlantic  at  that  time.  It 
would  be  accepted  for  substance  of  doctrine  by  Baptists 
generally  to-day.  The  Philadelphia  Confession  of  Faith, 
which  was  adopted  in  this  city  in  1742  by  the  Philadelphia 
Association  (the  city  giving  its  name  both  to  the  Associa- 
tion and  the  Confession),  and  to  the  preparation  of  which 
the  pastor  and  members  of  this  church  contributed  no  little 
influence,  is  probably  the  most  important  historic  document 
which  has  appeared  in  our  American  Baptist  history.  It 
has  been  truthfully  said  "  to  have  wielded  an  immense 
power  in  favor  of  orthodoxy  and  piety  among  our 
churches."  It  was  printed  by  Benjamin  Franklin  in  1743. 
It  was  too  elaborate  for  general  adoption  as  a  Confession. 
It  was  rather  an  exposition  of  revealed  truth,  a  carefully 
prepared  body  of  divinity,  than  a  simple  declaration  of 
principles,  and  gave  place  after  a  century  to  the  New 
Hampshire  Confession, — prepared  by  Dr.  John  Newton 
Brown,  and  based  upon  the  Philadelphia  Confession, — which 
incorporated  all  that  was  essential  in  doctrinal  belief,  and 
omitted  such  things  as  the  changed  practice  of  the 
churches  rendered  unnecessary — as,  for  example,  its  deliver- 
ances upon  the  use  of  singing  in  public  worship,  and  upon 
the  laying  on  of  hands  after  baptism. 

Such  documents  reveal  to  us  the  clear  apprehension  and 
vigorous  defence  of  scriptural  truth  by  the  fathers.  Their 
feet  were  planted  firmly  upon  "  the  impregnable  rock." 
They  were  conscientious  and  consistent  Protestants,  accept- 
ing "the  J^ible  and  the  Bible  only  "  as  the  rule  of  faith  and 
practice,  and  living  up  to  their  belief  without  fear  or  compro- 
mise. Here  was  the  basis  of  authority,  the  tribunal  to  which 
all  human  opinions  should  be  submitted,  the  final  appeal  in 
all  matters  of  doctrine  and  conduct.  A  "thus  saith  the 
Lord"  was  the  extinguisher  of  all  doubt,  and  the  end  of 
all    controversy,  not    its   beginning,  as    it   is   in   some  high 


222  FIRST  BAPTIST  CHURCH. 

circles  to-day.  They  believed,  and  therefore  they  spoke, 
and  therefore  they  obeyed.  It  was  their  simple  and  rev- 
erent loyalty  to  the  word  of  God,  as  the  word  of  God, 
that  made  them  what  they  were — Separatists  and  Baptists. 

This  distinguishing  characteristic  they  succeeded  won- 
derfully in  transmitting  to  their  children.  They  cared  little 
for  Creed-subscription  ;  indeed,  they  did  not  believe  in  it. 
But  they  wisely  knew  that  if  their  fundamental  principle — 
viz.,  the  supremacy  of  the  Bible — was  accepted  by  the 
enlierhtened  individual  conscience,  the  Creed  would  take 
care  of  itself.  They  had  faith  both  in  the  self-revealing 
power  of  the  truth  and  in  the  trustworthiness  of  mental 
operations,  when  under  the  guidance  of  God's  Spirit. 

The  results  have  amply  justified  their  wisdom.  In  pre- 
serving the  rights  of  conscience  they  at  the  same  time 
preserved  "  the  unity  of  the  Spirit  in  the  bonds  of  peace," 
and  the  denomination,  now  grown  to  astonishing  dimen- 
sions, writes  in  golden  letters  upon  the  single  banner  that 
floats  above  it,  "  One  Lord,  one  faith,  one  baptism." 

A  striking  illustration  of  the  cementing  and  unifying 
power  of  Christian  truth,  though  unformulated  and  unre- 
duced to  creedal  statement,  is  presented  in  the  First  Baptist 
Church  in  Providence.  It  has  never  adopted  a  Creed,  or 
what  we  innocently  call  "Articles  of  Faith."  The  little  hand- 
ful of  disciples  in  the  wilderness,  drawn  together  by  a 
common  love  of  liberty  and  common  spiritual  experiences, 
which  attract  souls  to  one  another  as  drops  of  quicksilver  are 
attracted,  associated  themselves  upon  no  other  basis  than 
an  oral  confession  of  faith  in  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ,  and  a 
sincere  purpose  to  honor  His  truth  and  obey  Him  in  all 
things.  For  two  hundred  and  sixty  years  the  church  has 
maintained  a  continuous  existence  without  a  written  Creed 
or  Covenant.  It  has  had  its  differences  of  opinion  on  minor 
points — as,  for  instance,  on  the  laying  on  of  hands,  to  which 
some  of  the  members  held  as  late  as  the  beginning  of  the 


BI-CENTENNIAL    CELEBRATION.  223 

present  century  ;  and  also  on  the  introduction  of  singing  in 
public  worship,  on  account  of  which  one  of  the  pastors  is 
said  to  have  withdrawn,  declaring  it  was  "highly  disgust- 
ful to  him."  Other  churches  passed  through  similar 
changes.  But  on  no  essential  point  of  revealed  doctrine 
has  it  ever  departed,  or  been  in  danger  of  departing,  from 
Baptist  standards.  Its  position  has  never  been  uncertain 
or  misunderstood.  It  has  remained  a  member  in  good  and 
regular  standing  in  the  goodly  fellowship  of  our  churches; 
and  to-day,  after  the  lapse  of  more  than  two  centuries  and 
a  half,  this  creedless  and  covenantless  church,  held  together 
by  the  invisible  bond  of  a  common  spiritual  faith,  and 
clothed  with  the  beauty  of  an  indestructible  life,  sends  to 
you,  who  have  been  nourished  and  brought  up  on  the 
Philadelphia  Confession,  the  assurance  of  its  fraternal 
sympathy  and  perfect  doctrinal  accord. 

It  may  be  necessary  now,  amid  the  multiplicity  of  Chris- 
tian bodies,  for  a  newly  organized  church  to  adopt  some 
brief  statement  of  belief,  that  it  may  secure  recognition  and 
congenial  ecclesiastical  fellowship,  and  that  the  community 
may  know  for  what  it  stands,  and  that  it  is  not  some  eccle- 
siastical nondescript,  with  no  definable  character,  no  sub- 
stantial basis  of  association,  no  cohesive  power,  and  no 
raison  d'etre.  But  the  statement  of  belief  is  not  the  thing 
that  contains  "  the  promise  and  the  potency  "  of  continued 
life  and  unity,  but  that  which  must  lie  back  of  all  state- 
ments of  religious  belief — viz.,  a  loving  loyalty  to  the  per- 
son and  word  of  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ. 

Again  we  are  indebted  to  the  fathers  for  their  far-sighted 
and  self-denying  efforts  in  laying  the  foundations  of  our 
educational  institutions.  The  early  Baptists  of  this  coun- 
try were  neither  blessed  nor  cursed  with  great  wealth.  In 
the  selection  of  his  instrumentalities  for  the  extension  of 
his  kingdom  God  has  never  given  a  truer  illustration  of 
the  apostle's  statement,  "  Hath  not  God  chosen  the  poor 


224  FIRST  BAPTlSr  CHURCH. 

of  this  world,  rich  in  faith,  and  heirs  of  the  kingdom  which 
He  hath  promised  to  them  that  love  Him  ?  "  For  one  hun- 
dred and  twenty  years  we  had  no  school  of  learning,  not  even 
an  academy.  Our  ministry  for  the  most  part  was  unedu- 
cated, except  the  few  brethren  who  came  from  over  the  sea. 
Roger  Williams  was  a  graduate  of  Pembroke  College, 
Cambridge,  and  was  liberally  educated  for  his  time,  being 
acquainted  with  several  languages.  John  Clarke  was  both 
physician  and  preacher,  and  was  familiar  with  Greek  and 
Hebrew.  Their  successors  were  godly  men  who  knew 
their  Bibles  well,  but  were  generally  untrained  in  the  orig- 
inal tongues  and  in  secular  learning.  But  the  necessity  for 
educational  facilities  was  deeply  felt  by  the  wise  leaders 
of  the  denomination,  and  the  conviction  found  frequent 
expression  that  education  was  the  handmaid  of  religion, 
and  that  the  growth  of  the  denomination,  which  depended 
not  upon  blindly  accepted  tradition,  or  upon  ecclesiastical 
authority,  but  upon  an  intelligent  interpretation  and  appre- 
hension of  the  Word  of  God,  could  only  be  secured  by  the 
liberal  diffusion  of  knowledge,  and  the  use  and  possession 
of  schools  of  learning. 

It  is  an  interesting  fact  that  an  English  Baptist,  Thomas 
Hollis,  Esq.,  of  London,  was  the  first  person  to  attempt  to 
supply  the  American  need.  The  aggregate  of  his  dona- 
tions to  Harvard  University  in  gifts  to  the  library  and 
philosophical  apparatus,  in  founding  two  professorships, 
one  of  them  a  professorship  of  Divinity,  and  ten  scholar- 
ships for  needy  students,  to  which  Baptist  students  should 
have  the  preference,  was  nearly  i5"2000  sterling.  "  And 
when  it  is  considered,"  says  Peirce,  in  his  "  History  of  the 
University  " — 

"  That  all  this  came  from  a  stranger  in  a  distant  land, 
from  one  of  the  then  poor,  despised  Baptists,  during  the 
life  time  of  the  donor,  and  at  a  time  when  the  value  of 
money  was  vastly  greater  than  it  is  now,  what  breast  does 
not  glow  with  grateful  admiration  ?  " 


BICENTENNIAL    CELEBKATION.  225 

These  donations  began  in  17 19,  and  exceeded  any  gift 
the  University  had  then  received.  They  were  more  than 
twice  as  large  as  John  Harvard's  bequest.  Rev.  EHsha 
Callender,  pastor  of  the  First  Baptist  Church  in  Boston, 
graduated  at  Harvard  University  in  17 17,  and  was  the 
first  native-born  Baptist  minister  in  this  country  to  receive 
a  collegiate  education.  His  son,  Rev.  John  Callender, 
pastor  at  Newport,  and  author  of  the  well-known  "  Histori- 
cal Discourse,"  was  graduated  in  1723  on  the  Hollis  foun- 
dation.^ 

The  Baptists  in  this  vicinity  had  already  entered  into 
associational  life  "  to  consult  about  such  things  as  were 
wanting  in  the  churches  and  set  them  in  order,"  and  at  the 
meeting  in  1722  action  was  taken  requesting 

"The  churches  to  make  inquiry  among  themselves  if 
they  have  any  young  persons  hopeful  for  the  ministry,  and 
inclinable  for  learning  ;  and  if  they  have,  to  give  notice  of 
it  to  Mr.  Abel  Morgan  before  the  first  of  November,  that 
he  might  recommend  such  to  the  Academy,  on  Mr. 
Hollis,  his  account." 

It  is  stated  that  this  action  was  taken  in  response  to  a  com- 
munication from  Mr.  Hollis  himself.  His  thoughtful  gener- 
osity, however,  proved  of  little  avail  to  those  for  whom  it 
was  especially  intended,  on  account  of  the  unfriendliness 
toward  the  Baptists  exhibited  by  the  Standing  Order. 

1  It  is  a  well-known  fact  that  the  first  President  of  Harvard  College,  Henry 
Dunster,  became  a  Baptist  and  was  retired  from  the  Presidency.  The  second 
President  also,  Charles  Chauncey,  was  a  Baptist  so  far  as  the  mode  of  baptism 
was  concerned.  He  believed  in  immersion,  both  for  adults  and  infants,  and 
immersed  two  of  his  own  children.  As  he  did  not  repudiate  infant  baptism, 
and  was  more  willing  than  Dunster  to  hold  his  views  of  the  rite  in  abeyance, 
there  was  no  objection  to  his  being  President  of  the  College.  These  facts 
not  only  show  the  prevalence  of  Baptist  views  at  that  time,  but  prove  what 
has  been  overlooked,  even  by  Baptist  historians — that  the  great  heresy,  in 
Puritan  judgment,  was  not  a  belief  in  immersion,  but  a  repudiation  of  infant 
baptism. 

15 


226  FIRST  BAPTIST  CHURCH. 

The  time  had  come  for  l^aptists  to  have  schools  of  their 
own,  to  make  provision  for  the  necessities  of  a  rapidly- 
growing  denomination.  In  1756,  by  the  joint  action  of 
the  churches  of  the  Philadelphia  Association,  the  Academy 
at  Hopewell,  N.  J.,  was  established  under  the  instruction  of 
Rev.  Isaac  Eaton,  a  man  eminently  qualified  for  the  position, 
and  whose  service  to  the  cause  of  education  is  worthy  of 
grateful  remembrance  and  highest  praise.  He  died  at 
the  early  age  of  forty-six,  and  his  virtues  are  fittingly 
described  by  this  inscription  on  his  memorial  tablet: 

"  In  him  with  grace  and  eminence  did  shine 
The  man,  the  Christian,  scholar,  and  divine." 

Of  that  Academy,  the  first  institution  for  the  education 
of  Baptist  ministers  on  this  continent.  Rev.  Abel  Morgan, 
already  mentioned,  a  Baptist  from  Wales,  was  one  of  the 
appointed  overseers,  and  to  it  this  church  gave  the 
heartiest  encouragement  and  support.  Among  its  stu- 
dents were  James  Manning,  the  first  President  of  Rhode 
Island  College,  now  Brown  University,  Hezekiah  Smith, ^ 
the  pastor  of  the  Baptist  Church  in  Haverhill,  Massachu- 
setts, for  forty  years,  and  many  others  eminent  in  the 
three  learned  professions.  But  to  these  two  men,  and 
their  coming  into  New  England,  the  Baptists  of  that  sec- 
tion are  indebted  for  an  intelligent  development  and 
increase,  more  than  can  be  expressed.  Their  influence 
was  most  helpful  in  molding  and  elevating  and  extending 
our  denominational  life. 

Five  years  after  the  founding   of  Hopewell   Academy, 

1  Manning  and  Smith  were  men  of  large  size,  physically  as  well  as  intel- 
lectually. Manning  weighed  300  pounds.  It  is  said  that  when  Dr.  Smith 
went  to  Haverhill  to  preach,  the  constable,  a  man  of  small  stature,  went  to 
order  him  to  depart  from  the  place  ;  but  being  overawed  by  his  appearance 
he  said,  in  his  confusion,  "  I — I  warn  you — off  the  face  of  God's  earth." 
"  But  where  shall  I  go  ?  "  said  Dr.  Smith.  "  Go  anywhere,  go  to  the  Isle  of 
Shoals,"  said  the  frightened  ofhcial. 


BICENTENNIAL    CELEBRATION.  227 

Rev.  Morgan  Edwards,  another  native  of  Wales,  upon  the 
recommendation  of  Dr.  Gill  and  other  English  Baptists, 
came  to  this  country,  and  became  pastor  of  this  church. 
His  coming  and  his  marked  personal  influence  gave  a 
fresh  impulse  to  the  educational  movement  here  begun, 
and  determined  the  nature  of  its  enlargement.  He  was 
educated  at  Bristol  College  under  Rev.  Bernard  Foskett,  a 
distinguished  physician,  preacher,  and  educator,  whose 
enthusiasm  for  higher  education  his  pupil  imbibed.  Ed- 
wards is  said  to  have  been  a  master  of  scholarly  attain- 
ments, and  was  accustomed  to  say — 

"  The  Greek  and  Hebrew  are  the  two  eyes  of  a  minister, 
and  the  translations  are  but  commentaries,  because  they 
vary  in  sense  as  commentators  do." 

The  following  tribute,  possibly  a  little  extravagant,  has 
been  paid  to  him  : 

"  Edwards  was  a  man  of  uncommon  genius.  In  his  day 
no  Baptist  minister  equaled  him,  and  none  since  his  time 
has  surpassed  him." 

He  has  been  truthfully  called  the  founder  of  Brown 
University.  At  a  meeting  of  the  Philadelphia  Association, 
held  October  12,  1762,  of  which  he  was  chairman  and 
Abel  Morgan  clerk,  there  was  much  discussion  as  to  the 
practicability  and  expediency  of — 

"  Erecting  a  college  in  the  colony  of  Rhode  Lsland,  under 
the  chief  direction  of  the  Baptists,  in  which  education 
might  be  promoted  and  superior  learning  obtained,  free 
from  any  sectarian  tests." 

It  was  the  free  atmosphere  of  Rhode  Island  that  deter- 
mined the  location  of  the  contemplated  College.  A  Welsh- 
man laid  the  foundations  of  the  State,  and  a  Welshman, 
more  than  any  other  single  person,  laid  the  foundations  of 


228  FIRST  BAPTIST  CHURCH. 

the  College.  Your  pastor,  by  his  inspiring  leadership  and 
wise  guidance  (for  to  him  and  to  Rev.  Samuel  Jones, 
another  Welshman,  pastor  of  the  Lower  Dublin  (Pennepek) 
Church,  of  which  this  church  was  at  first  a  branch,  the  in- 
auguration of  the  new  enterprise  was  largely  committed), 
gave  Brown  University,  I  will  not  say  to  Rhode  Island  or 
to  New  England,  but  to  the  denomination  and  to  the 
world,  and  led  the  way  to  the  founding  of  that  noble  list 
of  educational  institutions,  with  their  increasing  endow- 
ments and  far-reaching  influence,  which  have  enriched  the 
intellectual  and  spiritual  life  of  our  churches,  and  are  an 
honor  to  their  founders  and  supporters,  and  to  the  Christian 
body  which  they  represent.  Morgan  Edwards  preached 
the  first  Commencement  sermon,  and  was  a  most  active 
and  successful  agent  in  soliciting  from  the  friends  in  this 
church,  and  other  churches  in  this  Association  and  through- 
out the  land,  and  even  in  Great  Britain  (where  he  spent 
two  years  for  that  object),  funds  to  keep  the  breath  of  life 
in  the  educational  weakling. 

I  have  not  time  adequately  to  portray,  as  a  sense  of 
gratitude  would  prompt  me  to  do,  the  effect  upon  the  First 
Church  in  Providence  of  the  coming  of  Brown  University  and 
President  Manning  to  that  city.  The  church  had  lived  one 
hundred  and  thirty  years  a  narrow  and  sometimes  precarious 
life,  and  at  that  time  had  only  1 18  members,  in  a  population 
of  4000  people,  made  up  of  "  real  Baptists  and  political 
Baptists,  or  nothingarians,  who  outnumbered  the  '  real,' 
Presbyterians,  Congregationalists,  Episcopalians,  Quakers, 
Sandemanians,  and  Deists."  The  net  of  full  religious 
liberty  had  inclosed  a  great  multitude  of  fishes  of  many 
kinds,  both  good  and  bad.  The  church  had  a  small, 
inferior,  and  unattractive  meeting-house,  which  had  stood 
for  nearly  half  a  century.  President  Manning  became 
pastor  of  the  church,  as  well  as  president  of  the  College, 


BI-CENTENNIAL    CELEBRATION.  229 

and  a  new  era  dawned  upon  it.  The  spacious  house  of 
worship,  which  is  still  used,  was  erected  in  1775.  The 
union  of  education  and  religion  was  again  effected,  and  the 
church  felt  the  quickening  pulsations  of  a  larger,  more 
liberal,  and  more  aggressive  life.  It  was  nothing  less  than 
a  revolution  of  the  best  kind,  and  the  old  church  in  Provi- 
dence is  happy  to  express  its  grateful  appreciation  of  the 
service  of  this  church  and  the  churches  of  this  Association 
in  bringing  it  about. 

Nor  have  I  time  to  dwell  upon  the  active  interest  which 
the  members  of  this  church  have  taken  in  the  founding  and 
support  of  other  institutions  of  learning,  notably  Bucknell 
University,  the  University  of  Pennsylvania,  and  Columbian 
University.  The  spirit  of  the  fathers  has  lived  in  the 
breasts  of  succeeding  generations,  and  not  the  least  service 
which  this  church  has  rendered  to  the  cause  of  Christ,  of 
country,  and  of  human  progress,  has  been  its  devotion  to 
Christian  education. 

In  this  place  and  on  this  occasion  it  would  be  an  unpar- 
donable omission  to  fail  to  acknowledge  our  indebtedness 
to  the  fathers  for  the  inauguration  of  the  great  missionary 
enterprise  which  has  become  our  care,  our  joy,  and  our 
glory.  The  name  of  this  church  will  be  forever  associated 
with  the  Triennial  Convention,  whose  inception  took  place 
under  its  hospitable  roof,  and  which  was  warmed  into  being 
in  the  atmosphere  of  its  sympathy  and  love.  But  the  rela- 
tion of  this  church  to  Christian  missions  will  be  treated 
during  this  anniversary  by  another  and  more  competent 
hand,  and  need  not  be  rehearsed  by  me. 

Such  are  some  of  the  counts  in  the  large  bill  of  indebt- 
edness which  the  Baptists  of  to-day  owe  to  an  illustrious 
ancestry.  The  fathers,  where  are  they  ?  We  are  com- 
passed about  with  a  great  cloud  of  witnesses.  Their  re- 
deemed and  glorified  spirits  hover  above  us  to  drop  upon 


230  FIRST  BAPTIST  CIIUKCH. 

our  drooping  faith  and  lagging  zeal  the  inspirations  of  their 
heroic  examples,  and  the  incentives  to  a  like  fidelit)^  to 
Christ,  and  noble  service  for  our  generation  and  those  who 
shall  come  after  us.  Other  men  labored,  and  we  are  en- 
tered into  their  labors.  And  in  the  fast-coming  and  glori- 
ous harvest,  "  he  that  soweth  and  he  that  reapeth  shall 
rejoice  together." 


AMERICAN  CHRISTIANITY  IN  ITS  WORLD   R1:LATI0NS. 

By  rev.  henry  C.  MABIE,  D.D., 
Home  Secretary,  American  Baptist  Missionary  Union. 

My  Dear  Dr.  Tapper,  and  Beloved  Brethren  of  the  First 
Baptist  CJinrcli : 

In  behalf  of  the  American  Baptist  Missionary  Union,  I 
bring  to  this  ancient  church  most  cordial  greeting. 

In  this  goodly  city  eighty-four  years  ago  "  The  General 
Missionary  Convention  of  the  Baptist  Denomination  in  the 
United  States  of  America  for  Foreign  Missions  "  came 
into  being.  This  Society  was  the  progenitor  of  "  The 
American  Baptist  Missionary  Union,"  the  name  which  the 
organization  took  in  May,  1846. 

This  historic  organization  had  its  first  public  meeting  in 
your  house  of  worship.  There  were  more  than  casual 
reasons  for  the  meeting  in  this  city.  The  place  was  geo- 
graphically favorable  to  the  assembling  of  brethren  who 
came  from  as  far  as  Massachusetts  on  the  north  and 
Georgia  on  the  south. 

The  church  in  which  the  meeting  was  called  was  the 
mother  church  of  the  city. 

The  pastor  of  the  church  at  that  time  was  the  eminent 
Henry  Holcombe,  D.D.,  a  man  of  such  eminent  personality, 
power,  and  goodness  as  would  welcome  to  the  hospitality 
of  himself  and  his  people  a  new  organization  with  such 
humane,  spiritual,  and  world-embracing  aims. 

Then  the  immediate  predecessor  of  Dr.  Holcombe  in 
the  pastorate  of  this  historic  and  mission-loving  church, 
from  1805  to  181 1,  was  Dr.  William  Staughton.  Staughton 
had  spent  the  first  twenty-three  years  of  his  life  in  Eng- 

231 


232  FIRST  BAPTIST  CHURCH. 

land.  He  had  been  baptized  by  Samuel  Pearce,  of  Bir- 
mingham ;  he  was  called  to  succeed  Dr.  Ryland  at  North- 
ampton, but  declined  the  call  and  came  to  this  country 
instead.  Dr.  Staughton  was  the  one  man  in  America  who 
had  been  personally  associated  with  Carey,  Marshman, 
Ward,  Andrew  Fuller,  and  the  rest  of  that  apostolic  band 
in  England.  He  was  present  at  Nottingham,  where 
Carey  preached  that  celebrated  sermon,  and  himself  shared 
in  the  collection  which  followed  it  later,  putting  in  a  half 
guinea  toward  the  far-famed  offering  of  £\o  2s.  6d.  Dr. 
Staughton  often  said  he  rejoiced  more  over  that  half 
guinea  which  he  borrowed  to  put  into  the  plate,  than  over 
all  that  he  gave  in  his  life  besides. 

When,  therefore,  the  news  came  of  Judson's  change  of 
views  and  baptism,  and  that  the  denomination  in  the 
United  States  was  appealed  to  for  the  support  of  the  pro- 
posed new  work  in  Burma,  Staughton's  ardor  knew  no 
bounds.  He  was  one  of  the  most  eloquent  ministers  of 
his  day ;  an  educator,  also,  of  high  repute.  At  the  early 
age  of  twenty-eight  he  received  the  degree  of  D.D.  from 
Princeton  College.  For  eighteen  years  this  marvelous 
man,  in  this  city, — six  of  tho.se  years  as  pastor  of  this 
church  and  twelve  years  as  pastor  of  Sansom  Street 
Church,— preached  and  taught  and  lived  the  gospel  of 
missions.  For  twelve  years,  simultaneously  with  his  other 
duties,  Dr.  Staughton  served  also  as  the  first  corresponding 
secretary  of  the  Convention.  To  this  day  he  has  been 
facile  princeps  among  all  the  men  who  have  borne  this 
honor.  No  wonder,  then,  that  with  workmen  like  these  in 
the  pastorates  of  the  earliest  Philadelphia  churches,  the 
atmosphere  was  deemed  to  be  congenial  for  the  planting 
of  this  heavenly  exotic — a  foreign  missionary  society. 

As  a  worthy  successor  of  these  eminent  men,  and  as 
representing  the  most  distinguished  names  in  our  American 
Baptist  missionary  history,  may  be  mentioned  Dr.  George 


B I- CENTENNIAL    CELEBRATION.  233 

Dana  Boardman,  always  a  missionary  pastor,  and  for 
several  years  a  most  honored  president  of  the  Missionary 
Union.  The  church  has  always  been  represented  upon 
the  Board  of  the  Union,  and  has  three  of  its  members,  in- 
cluding your  honored  pastor,  Dr.  Tupper,  upon  the  Board 
at  the  present  time. 

In  1814  this  nation  was  just  emerging  from  a  bitter  war 
with  England.  Now,  with  that  motiier  country  courting 
alliance  with  her  for  a  joint  world  mission,  America  is 
just  emerging  from  a  conflict  with  Spain,  signalized  by  the 
practical  extinction  of  her  colonial  empire. 

Eighty-four  years  ago  the  missionary  enterprise  was 
deemed  by  most  people  chimerical  and  Utopian — the  scorn 
of  literary  and  polite  circles,  mistrusted  by  the  majority  of 
the  church  itself;  now  missions  is  the  watchword  of  Chris- 
tendom. 

Eighty  four  years  ago,  with  slight  exceptions,  the  whole 
Eastern  and  pagan  world  was  hermetically  sealed  against 
the  gospel.  Since  then  what  an  opening  of  doors  !  All 
of  India  accessible,  Japan  a  new  world,  China  cleft  wide 
open,  Korea  unsealed,  Africa,  pioneered  and  threaded  by 
her  scores  of  exploration  societies  from  east  to  west  and 
from  north  to  south,  offering  highways  for  the  gospel  ; 
while  the  islands  of  the  sea,  in  all  zones,  as  if  in  the  twi- 
light of  the  millennium,  await  the  coming  of  the  feet  made 
beautiful  with  the  message  of  peace.  Seventeen  millions 
of  people  in  these  islands  within  the  last  six  months  have 
been  politically  disenthralled. 

Eighty-four  years  ago  how  hard  were  the  conditions 
of  travel  between  Christendom  and  pagandom!  In  1814 
George  Stephenson  constructed  his  first  locomotive;  theie 
was  no  Suez  Canal ;  there  was  not  a  steamship  upon  the 
ocean  until  18 19.  A  railway  line  across  Siberia,  or  one 
from  Cairo  to  Cape  Town,  or  up  the  Congo  Valley,  not  to 
mention   20,000  miles  of  such  highway  in  the  Indian   Em- 


234  FIRST  BAPTIST  CHURCH. 

pire,  and  great  lines  operated  in  Japan  and  projected  for 
China  itself,  would  not  have  been  thought  possible  within  a 
thousand  years. 

And  the  vitalities  breaking  forth  in  all  these  great  move- 
ments— what  are  they  but  the  indices  of  the  progressive 
fulfilment  of  the  commission  given  on  the  Galilean  mount? 
"The  Gospel  of  the  Kingdom  shall  dc  preached  in  all  the 
world  for  a  witness  unto  all  nations." 

I  note  three  stages  which  within  one  hundred  years  in 
America  alone  are  marking  the  strides  which  our  God  is 
taking  in  the  earth  to  bring  in  the  kingdom  of  His  Son. 

Stage  First. — The  struggle  of  a  few  American  Chris- 
tians to  fulfil  the  great  commission.  When  our  fathers 
met  and  formed  this  Society,  they  did  so  in  the  endeavor 
to  commit  a  great  Christian  denomination  to  their  part  of 
the  work  of  Christianizing  pagans.  But  then,  and  ever 
since,  the  many  in  the  church  resisted  it.  Then  thirty- 
three  delegates  assembled — only  thirty-three  ! 

The  church  has  ever  lagged  far  behind  the  call  of  God, 
far  behind  the  tokens  of  His  providence  and  the  encour- 
agements of  His  grace;  hence,  new  measures  were  directly 
instituted  by  Providence  to  whip  up  the  progress. 

Stage  Second. — The  unexampled  foreign  migrations 
into  this  country.  Not  content  with  this  halting  response 
of  His  people  to  His  call,  the  Most  High  soon  began  to 
incite  the  peoples  of  the  earth  to  flock  to  our  shores  that, 
even  though  we  refused  to  go  to  them,  they  might  still 
come  under  the  gracious  influences  of  the  Gospel. 

No  chapters  in  human  history  more  fill  us  with  awe  than 
the  successive  migrations  of  mankind.  Whether  it  be  the 
great  movements  of  Noah's  sons,  northward,  eastward  and 
southward  from  Shinar,  or  the  descent  of  the  Goths  upon 
Rome,  or  the  coming  of  the  Danes,  Saxons,  and  Normans 
into  Britain,  or  the  pilgrimages  of  Hollanders,  English, 
Huguenots,  Scandinavians,  and  even  Mongolians  into  our 


BI-CENTENNIAL    CELEBRATION.  235 

own  land, — we  feel  that  in  each  and  all  of  these  movements 
there  is  something  more  than  chance  or  impulse  moving 
the  men  upon  the  chess-board.  The  game  is  being  played 
with  infinite  purpose,  worthy  of  the  God  of  History.  They 
all  mark  stages  in  the  outworking  plan  of  the  Son  of  Man. 
They  are  steps  in  the  fulfilment  of  the  greater  commission. 
But  even  yet,  God's  people  limp  and  lag  and  resist  j 
hence  : 

Stage  Third. — The  inevitable  committal  of  the  United 
States  to  a  protectorate  of  Spanish  colonies.  As  the  God 
of  this  nation  would  not  be  baffled  in  His  missionary  pur- 
pose, he  crowds  upon  the  United  States  another  juncture 
yet,  and  that  a  Missionary  Juncture.  For  once  a  whole 
nation  has  gone,  unwillingly,  into  the  enterprise  of  foreign 
missions.  God  must  be  in  it.  A  Boston  minister,  out  of 
sympathy  with  the  late  turn  in  events,  in  his  Thanksgiv- 
ing discourse  exclaimed : 

"  One  of  the  most  amazing  spectacles  I  have  seen  is 
of  people  who  never  offered  a  prayer  or  gave  a  penny 
for  foreign  missions  suddenly  proclaiming  that  they  are  in 
favor  of  paying  twenty  times  as  much  as  was  ever  given 
for  that  purpose  for  the  privilege  of  conveying  the  beau- 
ties of  civilization  to  a  half  savage  people ;  an  enormous 
sum  down,  and  how  much  more  hereafter  no  man  has 
computed,  for  teaching  half  savages  how  to  live  under 
righteous  conditions,  such  as  Christian  nations  only  can 
teach." 

Yes;  but  what  if  this  should  be  part  of  the  divine  plan, 
even  though  we  are  a  republic,  to  force  us  into  responsi- 
bility for  the  care  of  17,000,000  unfortunates  of  our  race! 
Who  are  we  to  evade  this  obligation,  even  though  we 
thought  ourselves  insulated  against  such  cares  ?  It  may  be 
that  this  ^20,000,000,  apparently  to  be  handed  over  for  the 
Philippines,  is  but  a  portion  of  the  tithes  and  offerings 
which  this  Christian  but  sordid  people  have  withheld  from 


236  FIRST  BAPTIST  CHURCH. 

mission  endeavor  in  the  past  decads.  God  is  hurrying  up 
this  work  of  missions  ;  in  spite  of  our  neglect  He  will  not 
be  robbed  forever. 

Israel  of  old  went  into  her  long  captivity  as  a  discipline 
for  the  denied  tribute  of  seventy  Sabbatical  years.  So  we 
have  been  brought  into  new  conditions  that  will  put  to  the 
test  all  we  have  ever  claimed  for  ourselves  as  the  most 
Christian  of  nations.  These  are  the  ends  or  consumma- 
tions in  history;  part  and  parcel  of  the  great  kingdom  of 
grace  over  which  our  God  rules  supreme.  In  the  interests 
of  that  kingdom  He  operates  through  human  governments 
and  political  institutions  just  as  really  as  He  operates 
through  the  church. 

None  will  deny  that  the  United  States  of  America,  as  the 
most  highly  born  of  Providence,  has  a  unique  mission  in 
this  regard,  not  yet  half  explained.  When  it  comes  to  the 
policies  whereby  this  mission  shall  be  wrought  out,  there 
will,  of  course,  be  differences  of  opinion  and  many  diffi- 
culties. 

It  is  important  to  distinguish  between  the  national  rela- 
tion as  such,  and  the  relation  of  Christian  people  within 
the  nation  to  those  without.  With  the  national  relation 
let  the  statesmen  wrestle  ;  it  is  their  special  function.  God 
cfive  them  wisdom  for  it ! 

But  American  Christianity  in  its  world-wide  relations  to 
these  peoples,  and  to  humanity  everywhere — that  is  another 
question,  not  necessarily  dependent  on  legislation,  or 
standing  armies,  or  naval  equipments,  or  international 
treaties,  except  in  so  far  as  these  providentially  increase 
the  intimacy  of  our  contact. 

This  latter  question  is  a  question  for  the  Christian  as 
such,  who  owns  every  man  his  brother,  and  himself  the 
keeper  of  every  man.  Whatever  may  be  the  duty  of  the 
United  States  to  other  governments  inchoate  or  complete, 
there  can    be   no  doubting  this :   that   the  responsibility  of 


BI-  CENTENNIA L    CEL EBRA  TWA'.  237 

American  Christianity  for  the  ivorld  is  unique  and  pro- 
found. It  has  been  sometimes  asked,  Why  should  Amer- 
ican Christianity  concern  itself  with  missions  under  other 
than  American  flags  ?  Why,  for  example,  support  missions 
under  the  British  flag  in  India  or  Burma?  The  answer  is 
simple.  Because  our  religion  must  and  ought  to  outrun 
our  nationalism.  Our  Christian  passion  for  mankind  is 
pre-American,  sub-American,  super-American,  because  it 
is  divine,  human,  Christly.  And  were  it  not,  were  our 
religion  limited  by  our  Americanism,  we  should  prove  our 
Americanism  non-Christian,  even  anti-Christian,  and  in  the 
end  not  only  subordinate  our  glorying  in  the  cross  to  a 
glorying  in  the  flag,  but  also  debase  our  flag  itself  to  some- 
thing unworthy  of  the  nation. 

The  truth  is,  America,  with  all  its  free  institutions,  is 
only  the  training-school,  the  drill-ground  for  discipline  and 
capacity  to  bless  all  men  everywhere.  To  be  less  than 
this  is  to  descend  to  the  level  of  the  provincial  Japanese, 
who  cries,  "  Japan  for  the  Japanese  !  "  or  the  Know  Noth- 
ing American,  who  sourly  mutters,  "  America  for  Amer- 
icans." 

Baptists  who  could  take  refuge  in  such  sentiments  must 
repudiate  Carey,  for  it  was  his  characteristic  distinction 
that  whereas  other  Britons  had  advocated  Christian  privi- 
leges for  British  colonists  sojourning  abroad,  Carey  pleaded 
for  Christian  Britons  to  give  the  gospel  to  all  pagandom, 
whether  colonized  by  British  Christians  or  not. 

The  best  thing  about  our  American  patriotism  is  that  it 
is  grounded  in  Christianity,  which  teaches  us  to  love  and 
bless  all  men.  It  is  this  which  makes  American  patriotism 
more  than  Chinese  patriotism,  or  feudal  patriotism,  or 
Spanish  patriotism. 

American  Christianity  may  well  be  thankful  that  in  the 
providence  of  God  there  has  been  a  British  nation  to  push 
its  colonizations,  and  its  consequent  humanizing  influences. 


238  FIRST  BAPTIST  CJIUKCIL 

into  India  and  all  other  cruel  and  barbaric  regions  of  the 
East. 

While  making  no  apology  for  the  avarice  or  other 
abuses  of  their  power,  I  still  believe  God  has  as  really 
raised  up  Great  Britain  to  punish  iniquities  of  the  heathen, 
unspeakably  worse  than  her  own,  and  also  to  prepare  the 
way  for  universal  Christian  missions,  as  he  called  Israel 
for  a  similar  purpose.  We  may  well  thank  God  for  Eng- 
land in  Bengal,  in  Burma,  in  Assam,  in  China  and  Africa; 
else,  humanly  speaking,  there  had  been  little  mission  work 
to  this  day  in  any  of  the  lands  named,  or  little  of  its  reflex 
values  upon  ourselves. 

But  for  Britain's  protecting  flag,  her  grants  of  land,  her 
orderly  government,  to  make  possible  our  Judsons,  our 
Boardmans,  our  Masons,  our  Kincaids,  our  Carpenters,  our 
Cloughs — there  would  have  been  no  such  great  body  of 
missionary  Baptists  as  we  have  in  this  land  to-day.  We, 
of  all  people,  the  peculiar  creation  of  Providence,  are  called 
upon  to  recognize  the  unique  protectorate  of  the  British 
flag  in  our  religious  history  ;  for  wherever  that  flag  has 
floated,  our  own  Stars  and  Stripes  have  shortly  floated 
beside  or  beneath  it,  and  the  missionaries  of  the  cross  had 
protection  under  these  twain.  Well  may  we  Baptists  sing 
with  the  poet  laureate  : 


Now,  fling  them  out  to  the  breeze. 

Shamrock,  Thistle,  and  Rose  ! 
And  the  Star-spangled  Banner  unfurled  with  these, 

A  message  to  friends  and  foes, 

Wherever  the  sails  of  Peace   are  seen,  and  wherever  the  war- 
wind  blows. 

A  message  to  bond  and  thrall  to  wake, 

Yox  wherever  we  come,  we  twain. 
The  throne  of  the  Tyrant  shall  rock  and  quake, 

And  his  menace  be  void  and  vain  ; 

For  you   are  the  lords  of  a  strong  young  land,  and  we  are  the 
lords  of  the  main. 


BI-CENTENNIAL    CELEBRATION.  239 

"  Yes,  this  is  the  voice  of  the  bUiff  March  gale, 
'  We  severed  have  been  too  long  : 
But  now  we  have  done  with  a  worn-out  tale, 
The  tale  of  an  ancient  wrong, 

And  our  friendship  last  long  as  Love  doth  last,  and  be  stronger 
than  Death  is  strong.'  " 

As  Strongly  as  the  sentiment  ever  prevailed  in  England 
concerning  her  world-wide  mission,  so  strongly  will  the 
sentiment  yet  prevail  among  us  that  America  must  be 
"true  to  her  destiny  ";  that  she  must  hold  in  trusteeship 
that  which  for  benign  purposes  comes  to  her,  even  though 
it  may  not  have  been  clearly  anticipated  in  the  letter  of  the 
Constitution.  There  is,  behind  the  Constitution,  a  consti- 
tution which,  as  Benjamin  Kidd  says,  is  probably  one  of 
the  most  vital  and  healthy  governmental  instruments  in 
the  world — a  spirit  which  carries  it  beyond  itself.  The 
spirit  of  the  Constitution  must  hold  America  to  world  rela- 
tionships as  a  world  power,  just  because  the  spirit  of  her 
institutions  represents  world  principles.  These  principles, 
in  their  operation,  can  no  more  be  confined  to  our  own 
present  territory  than  you  can  confine  atmosphere  or  sun- 
light to  one  continent.  America  must  take  the  risks  in- 
volved in  the  logic  of  her  principles,  in  the  spirit  and  genius 
of  her  being. 

A  long  and  wearisome  task  indeed  we  may  have  ahead 
of  us  in  exercising  this  gracious  protectorate,  if  protectorate 
it  be,  over  new  peoples,  while  our  Gospel  enlightenment,  our 
civil  freedom,  our  common  school  ideas,  find  their  way 
among  a  people  long  deprived  of  them.  Who  can  doubt 
God  means  it,  that  at  the  very  least,  as  Senator  Hoar  puts 
it,  "  We  must  set  these  peoples  upon  their  feet,  and  fit  them 
for  self-government."  The  responsibility  for  keeping  alive 
the  requisite  sentiment  and  moral  force  to  enable  the  gov- 
ernment to  do  this  will  rest  upon  the  Christian  churches 
of  this  land  in  all  their  rank  and  file.  This  is  only  saying 
that  public  sentiment    must  become  more  and  more  mis- 


240  FIRST  BAPTIST  CHURCH. 

sionary  ;  and,  failing  of  this,  our  country  will  assuredly  fall 
into  such  troubles  and  embarrassments  as  will  fulfil  the 
predictions  of  the  prophets  of  evil.  Nay,  the  church  itself, 
which  is  the  country's  conscience,  will  itself  fail,  and 
deserve  to. 

Whatever  the  national  life  may  be,  the  life  of  Christianity, 
here  grown  to  its  present  maturity,  is  peculiarly  missionary. 
It  is  bound  to  be,  for  it  is  a  peculiar  product ;  a  product  of 
grace  received  through  a  thousand  channels.  Its  heredity 
did  much  for  it.  Dutch,  English,  German,  Huguenot, 
Scandinavian  ancestors — all  true  Pilgrim  stock,  gave  us  the 
best  composite  blood. 

Then  this  composite  race-product  was  developed  in  the 
atmosphere  of  a  unique  freedom  ;  not  the  freedom  of  the 
brigand,  the  communist,  the  mere  freedom  from  restraint — 
that  were  license.  The  American  Christian  freeman  is 
characterized  by  two  senses  : 

1.  Viy  the  sense  of  kingship,  innate  and  constitutional, 
because  made  in  the  image  of  God  and  supremely 
accountable  to  him  ;  and — 

2.  By  the  sense  of  responsibility  for  others. 
American  Christianity,  moreover,  has    come  to  have  a 

depth  and  fullness  all  its  own,  owing  to  the  processes  of 
thought  and  life  through  which  it  has  passed.  When  men 
like  Edwards  and  Bellamy,  Dwight  and  Lyman  Beecher, 
Hodge  and  Alexander, — free  from  such  restraints,  formal- 
isms, and  dead  inanities  as  filled  the  State  churches  of 
Europe,  where  for  centuries  the  Bible  itself  had  been  locked 
up  in  dead  tongues  and  shut  away  from  the  people, — came 
to  ponder  revelation  afresh,  and  give  it  speech  in  great 
Christian  treatises,  they  unveiled  the  eternities  in  a  new 
way.  When,  simultaneously  with  this  high  intellection, 
great  evangelists  came  forward,  like  Whitefield  and  Brain- 
erd,  Wesley  and  the  Tennants,  the  Swans,  and  the  Finneys, 
American   Christianity   took   on  a  meaning  and  deepened 


BI-CENTEiXNIAL    CELEBRATION.  241 

into  a  power  the  like  of  which  no  land  ever  saw  before. 
This  movement  resulted  in  a  ministry  universally  evangel- 
istic— at  least  aiming  to  be  so  in  all  evangelical  circles. 
The  new  birth  as  fundamental  to  everything  was  everywhere 
insisted  on. 

The  entire  Sunday-school  movement,  and  the  wide- 
spread activities  of  the  young  people's  organizations, 
have  kept  ever  at  the  front  soul-saving  and  soul-culture, 
on  a  scale  never  equaled  in  any  other  time  or  land. 

The  development  of  lay  preachers  through  the  Y.  M.  C. 
A.  enterprise  has  given  a  further  impetus  to  the  most  rad- 
ical and  spiritual  application  of  the  Bible  to  American 
life  and  well-being.  Thus  the  last  century  has  throbbed 
with  evangelical  fervor  and  evangelistic  zeal.  Then  when 
the  missionary  idea  seized  those  leading  minds,  like  Judson 
and  Rice,  Nott  and  VVayland,  and  Titus  Coan,  together 
with  the  agitations  of  the  moral  sense  which  rocked  the 
nation  over  the  slavery  issue,  American  Christianity  struck 
deeper  root  still.  The  American  Church,  at  least  in  her 
ideals,  has  come  to  believe,  as  no  people  before  anywhere 
ever  believed,  in  the  possibilities  and  capabilities  of  man  as 
man,  when  the  gospel  of  the  New  Testament  enters  into 
him  and  controls  him. 

That  gospel  which  has  produced  an  A.  J.  Gordon,  a 
John  A.  Broadus,  a  Booker  T.  Washington,  an  A.  J.  Diaz,  a 
Buffalo  Meat,  can  do  anything  in  any  race  beneath  the 
sun.  All  this  store  of  ideal  and  of  energy  we  have  as  a 
product  with  which  to  go  forth  and  bless  the  world. 

The  question  now  is,  whether  American  Christianity  can 
succeed  in  resisting  and  overcoming  her  most  subtle  and 
dangerous  temptation — viz.,  to  become  self-centered.  Having 
freely  received  so  much,  will  she  be  led  to  use  it  for  her 
own  gratification  and  self-indulgence  ? 

Rome,  great  as  she  became,  lost  all  because  she  became 
drunk  with  her  own  luxuries.  She  would  neither  receive 
16 


242  FIRST  BAPTIST  CHURCH. 

nor  giv^e  a  gospel,  and  she  crumbled  like  another  tower  of 
Babel. 

England's  chief  peril  at  this  hour  grows  out  of  mini- 
mizing her  evangelic  mission,  and  the  suspicion  her  avarice 
has  awakened  in  the  world  that  she  is  chiefly  a  land- 
grabber  and  an  exactor  of  revenue.  Her  own  prophets 
are  rising  up  and  sounding  the  note  of  warning,  that  the 
loss  of  prestige  which  she  has  lately  suffered  in  China  and 
the  East  generally  will  go  on  with  accelerating  force  unless 
larger  proportion  is  given  to  her  beneficence. 

Spain,  beyond  all  question,  has  come  near  losing  all, 
chiefly  for  the  reason  that  she  has  had  no  blessing  for  her 
colonial  subjects.  Instead  of  being  a  good  shepherd  of  the 
sheep  intrusted  to  her  care,  she  has  rather  proved  a  thief 
and  a  robber,  taking  away  freedom,  enlightenment,  the 
Christian  Scriptures,  popular  education,  civil  rights,  and  all 
else  that  humanity  holds  dear,  till  the  defrauded  victims 
of  Spain's  rapine  have  risen  up  and  repudiated  her  author- 
ity with  bitter  and  resentful  scorn.  The  truth  is,  God  has 
no  more  permanent  use  for  a  selfish  nation  than  He  has  for 
a  selfish  person. 

Shall  we,  to  whom  these  myriads  of  new  dependents  now 
turn,  prove  truer  shepherds  of  the  flock  ?  If  so,  our  devotion 
to  our  own  extravagant  and  luxurious  living  must  relax  and 
the  tides  of  our  bounty  begin  to  flow  in  a  thousand  new- 
made  channels  of  grace  and  blessing.  That  type  of  self- 
complacency  which  would  seem  to  be  chiefly  concerned  in 
preparing  in  the  choicer  portions  of  this  land  a  mere  snug- 
gery for  self-pleasure  must  overcome  itself.  They  tell  us 
that  the  children  of  the  multitudinous  foreigner  are  "  play- 
ing upon  our  very  doorsteps."  Then  in  Heaven's  name  let 
us  open  the  doors  and  invite  tJunc  children  inside.  When 
we  have  anything  in  the  world  too  good  to  share  with 
others,  a  new  menace  has  set  in  against  the  enjoyment  of 
our  own  goods. 


BI-CENTENNIAL    CELEBRATJON.  243 

What,  then,  is  tJic  true  ///mvV;;/ of  American  Christianity? 
To  pour  back  upon  the  world,  for  Jesus'  sake,  all  blessings 
she  has  ever  received,  for  in  thus  losing  herself  she  will 
eternally  gain  herself  Christianity  is  more  than  a  "  Mon- 
roe Doctrine."  That  doctrine  was  coined  at  a  period  of 
the  nation's  history  when  we  were  struggling  for  the  right 
safely  to  exist,  and  to  exist  in  trusteeship  for  all  that  por- 
tion of  mankind  who  might  seek  asylum  beneath  our 
banner.  We  were  then  on  the  defensive;  mankind  itself 
was.  Besides,  the  sentiment  in  it  was  never  wholly  Chris- 
tian.    At  most,  it  was  simply  naturally  human. 

Washington's  farewell  address  has  been  held  responsible 
for  too  much.  When  it  was  delivered  the  United  States 
contained  only  6,000,000  people.  We  were  "  surrounded 
by  hostile  powers,  and  hostile  natural  conditions  on  every 
side."  We  were  living,  as  one  has  said,  "  in  an  isolation 
like  that  of  the  Jutes  and  Angles  of  the  fifth  century  "  ; 
but  now  we  have  grown  to  70,000,000  people ;  we  have 
tamed  a  continent ;  we  are  the  most  homogeneous  nation  on 
earth.  The  connections  and  relationships  to  the  outside 
world  which  have  grown  up  with  all  this  we  can  not  es- 
cape. 

Especially  we  can  not  hedge  in,  cabin,  or  confine  the 
vitalities  of  our  free  institutions;  they  have  already  reacted 
upon  England,  France,  Germany,  Scandinavia,  Italy,  to 
their  practical  reconstruction.  They  have  ascended  the 
Ganges,  the  Irawadi,  and  even  the  Yang-tse-Kiang,  and 
turned  and  overturned  dynasties  ;  they  have  lifted  the  two- 
leaved  gates  of  Seclusion  and  Exclusion  off  their  hinges. 
Such  results  probably  Washington  never  contemplated  ; 
and  if  he  did  not,  he  never  rose  to  the  highest  conception 
of  his  country  and  her  mission. 

Here  is  a  question,  greater  than  that  of  our  safety,  which 
yet  remains  to  be  answered — viz.,  the  safety  of  others  than 
ourselves.     Can  the  people  whose  institutions  and  history 


244  FIRST  BAPTIST  CHURCH. 

have  already  effected  so  much  rise  to  the  point  of  giving 
a  gospel  to  the  world  ?  If  they  can  not,  then  there  is  room 
for  a  higher  national  mission  than  we  represent,  and  God 
will  find  a  nation  to  represent  it.  American  Christianity 
surely  has  a  right  to  impart  itself,  for  it  is  too  good  to 
keep.  If,  incident  to  its  vitality,  it  overturns  institutions  in 
China  or  Turkey  or  Spain,  it  offers  better  in  their  stead. 

American  Christianity  has  a  trusteeship  for  all  men, 
because  it  has  received  the  most  of  all  in  trust.  Moreover, 
the^\•orld  is  ready  to  see  it  done.  As  President  McKinley 
has  suggested  :  "  Why  should  we  not  accept  what  all  the 
rest  of  the  world  is  willing  we  should  ?  "  Accept,  not  for 
selfish  aggrandizement,  but  as  a  foundling  left  upon  our 
doorstep;  as  a  ward,  for  care,  instruction,  and  nurture;  as 
an  achievement  in  civilization  and  sociology,  before  which 
confessedly  medieval  policies  for  four  hundred  years  stand 
baffled  and  dumfounded.  Can  Christianity — not  Roman 
Catholic  Christianity,  but  free  American  biblical  Christi- 
anity— work  out  this  achievement,  the  salvation  of  these 
peoples,  who  until  this  hour  had  no  hope  of  destiny  for 
this  life  or  the  life  to  come?  Can  we  shepherd  these  souls, 
and  others  as  needy  as  they,  everywhere  in  heathendom? 

If  we  shall  prove  that  we  can,  it  will  be  upon  one  prin- 
ciple— the  principle  on  which  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ  de- 
clared he  gained  a  door  of  legitimate  access  to  human 
souls.  He  taught  that  the  basal  condition  of  such  suc- 
cessful shepherding  was  that  the  shepherd  must  be  one 
who  (i)  could  lay  down  his  life  for  others,  and  (2)  could 
lay  it  down  in  such  a  way  and  on  such  a  principle  as  to  take 
it  back  again  alive,  but  on  a  higher  plane. 

"  Therefore  doth  my  Father  love  me,  because  I  lay  down 
my  life  that  I  may  take  it  again.  .  .  .  this  command- 
ment have  I  received  of  my  Father."  "All  that  ever  came 
before  me  [/.  e.,  on  any  lower  principle  than  this]  are 
thieves  and  robbers." 


BI-CENTENNIAL    CELEBRATION.  245 

He  who  seeks  to  deal  religiously  with  human  souls  on 
other  principles  than  these,  instead  of  blessing  those  souls, 
harms  them — robs  and  thieves  and  destroys.  Confucius 
did  it,  Buddha  did  it,  Mahommed  did  it,  we  all  do  it  in 
part;  we  impoverish  the  very  soil  of  human  nature  to  the 
extent  that  we  fall  short  of  these  two  elements  in  Christ's 
method  and  ideal  Christ  could  lay  down  his  life,  not 
merely  at  the  cross,  but  habitually,  in  his  entire  habit  of 
living;  he  could  renounce  his  nature  life,  his  life  of  natural 
impulse,  the  flesh  life,  all  use  of  himself  considered  as  an 
independent  being.  He  laid  it  all  down  for  men.  He  had 
authority,  right,  to  do  this.  Pie  was  not  an  ascetic  nor  a 
misanthrope  nor  a  suicide  ;  he  had  no  right  to  be  any  of 
these.  He  would  have  won  few  followers  if  he  had  been. 
But  he  had  a  right  to  subordinate  that  natural  flesh-life  of 
his  ;  and  the  exercise  of  the  right  to  do  this  issued  in  a 
second  and  higher  privilege  and  power — viz.,  the  right  to 
take  back  the  life  again,  but  on  a  higher  plane.  This  was 
the  resurrection  life,  the  pneumatic  life — not  merely  the 
historical  resurrection  of  his  body  from  Joseph's  tomb, 
but  a  resurrection  life  of  the  spirit.  Such  rising  from  the 
dead  was  habitual  with  him,  consequent  on  every  act 
wherein  he  died  to  self. 

The  power  to  do  these  two  things, — die  and  live  again, — 
this  is  the  sine  qua  iion  to  evangelical  shepherding  power, 
to  real  saving  power.  To  use  analogies,  the  shepherd 
must  die  as  the  wheat  dies  between  the  millstones,  and, 
through  the  bread,  becomes  mortal  life  for  our  bodies; 
must  die  as  the  grape  dies,  and  live  as  nutriment  and  exhila- 
ration in  the  wine  ;  must  die  as  patriots  died  at  Bunker 
Hill  and  Gettysburg  and  lived  again  in  the  free  colonies,  in 
the  emancipation  of  the  slave,  and  in  a  reconstructed  Union  ; 
must  die  as  Hobson  died,  potentially,  when  he  sunk  the 
"  Merrimac,"  and  lived  in  the  vision  of  a  Cuba  sooner  disen- 
thralled and  in  the  admiration  of  mankind.     The  human 


246  FIRST  BAPTIST  CHURCH. 

imagination  ever  hungers  for  such  heroism,  and  starved 
human  nature  will  not  be  satisfied  with  spiritual  shepherds 
who  qualify  on  any  less  heroic  plane. 

Dare  we,  as  American  Christian  patriots,  to  die  and  live 
again  thus — to  do  so  daily  ?  Are  we  able  to  inaugurate  a 
new  epoch  to  be  characterized  by  these  features  in  the 
Chief  Shepherd's  career  ?  Our  young  Christian  collegians 
and  ministers — dare  they  seek  honors  in  a  college  of  this 
sort?  Have  they  courage  to  cross  the  flood  ?  Then  may 
they  sing  Miriam's  song.  Our  missionary  candidates, 
whether  for  Home  Missions  or  Foreign,  let  them  know 
the  only  graduation  from  a  training-school  worth  naming 
is  an  ascent  into  habitual  spiritual  resurrection  ;  and  that 
is  through  a  parted  Jordan. 

Elisha,  when  he  had  fulfilled  the  condition  for  obtaining 
the  prophet's  birthright  from  his  master,  was  characterized 
by  three  things,  pictured  in  one  of  the  most  striking  scenes 
in  the  book  of  Kings  :  (i)  He  rent  his  own  clothes;  (2) 
he  caught  up  the  mantle  which  fell  from  Elijah,  symbol  of 
Elijah's  poverty  and  self-renunciatory  life  ;  and  (3)  he  stood 
by  Jordan — the  mantle  folded  together  as  a  scepter. 
There  he  stands.  Tableau  !  symbol  of  all  empowerment 
to  divide  the  stream  that  rolled  between  him  and  the 
prophet's  career. 

All  missionary  work  is  such  a  dividing  of  the  Jordan. 
It  is  living  not  the  atonement  only, — the  atonement  even, 
apart  from  the  resurrection,  is  a  half-truth, — but  living 
the  resurrection  also,  living  atonement  and  rcsnrreetion ; 
this  is  the  condition  of  power  so  vital  that  even  a  corpse 
when  flung  into  the  grave  where  sleep  the  bones  of  one 
who  has  known  this  mystic  twin  realization,  will  rise  up 
and  live. 

These  are  the  duplex  elements  of  power— first  in  the 
message  to  be  preached  to  the  world,  then  illustrated  and 
rendered    concrete    in    the    living    messenger;    these    the 


BI-CENTENNIAL    CELEBRATION.  247 

potencies  adequate  to  awake  China  from  the  death-sleep 
of  ages,  to  purge  India  of  her  age-long  pollutions,  to  rouse 
Ethiopia  to  stretch  forth  her  hands  unto  God  ;  these  the 
vitalities  equal  to  Cuba's  pacification  and  Philippine  reno- 
vation and  even  Spanish  regeneration. 

Let  American  Christianity,  under  the  protection  of  the 
only  government  in  the  world  that  has  ever  given  the 
gospel  a  fair  chance,  make  proof  of  these,  and  America 
will  be  equal  to  her  new  task  so  far  as  Providence  requires, 
for  the  power  of  Him  "  that  liveth  and  was  dead  and  behold 
is  alive  forever  more,  and  has  the  keys  of  death  and  of 
hell  "  will  be  upon  us. 

Two  high-spirited  Japanese  young  men,  members  of  a 
mission  boarding-school,  are  face  to  face  with  a  saintly 
Christian  bishop  who  presides  over  the  school  in  the  city 
of  Tokio.  One  of  the  youths  is  a  Christian,  the  other  a 
proud  Confucianist  and  Buddhist,  utterly  pagan.  These 
lads  have  come  to  represent  their  fellows  in  a  student's 
rebellion.  They  complain  that  their  accommodations  are 
unsatisfactory,  and  they  announce  that  the  body  of  the 
students  will  bolt  the  school ;  the  room  occupied  by  these 
two  complainants  is  on  the  north  side  of  the  building,  and 
in  the  winter  months  it  is  damp,  cold,  and  cheerless.  The 
good  bishop  hears  the  complaint  patiently,  and  replies : 

"  I  am  very  sorry  for  the  discomfort  experienced.  I  have 
endeavored  to  get  money  from  my  mission  board  for 
better  buildings,  but  times  are  hard  in  America  and  I 
must  wait.     We  hope  for  them  soon." 

Then,  addressing  the  Christian  boy,  he  continues  : 

"  You,  my  dear  son,  are  much  loved  and  appreciated  by 
the  church.  Your  life  is  most  precious  to  her.  I  am  an 
old  man  and  shall  soon  be  gone.  You  will  remain ;  live 
on  and  do  high  service  for  the  cause  of  Christ.  We  must 
take  the  best  care  of  your  health  and  preserve  you  for  the 
work.     Be  patient  and  wait  for  the  new  mission  buildings, 


248  FIRST  BAPTIST  CHURCH. 

expected  with  better  times  in  the  home  land.  Meanwhile 
I  propose  this  plan  for  you  two  young  men.  I  have  a 
bright  sunny  room  on  the  south  side  of  the  building, 
where  all  is  warm  and  dry.  You  come  over  and  take  my 
room,  and  I  will  go  over  and  take  your  north-side  room." 

"  No,  no  !  "  stammered  the  Christian  youth,  "  we  did  n't 
mean  that,"  and  he  began  to  weep  tears  of  shame  for  his 
rude  complaint. 

"  Never  mind,"  persisted  the  bishop,  "  you  come  and  take 
my  room  ;  I'll  go  and  take  yours  ;  I  am  bound  to  take  the 
best  care  of  you." 

Meanwhile  the  heathen  lad,  who,  several  years  after  the 
event,  told  us  the  story,  and  who  is  to-day  a  divinity  student 
in  this  country,  also  broke  down  and  began  to  weep  and 
apologize.     Said  he  : 

"To  that  hour  I  had  never  seen  anything  like  that. 
Confucianism,  of  which  I  was  so  proud,  had  nothing  to 
match  that.  Here  was  our  bishop,  not  only  renouncing 
his  own  right  and  comforts  to  favor  us  ungrateful  youths ; 
but  you  recall  the  light  that  smote  Paul  of  Tarsus  on  his 
way  to  Damascus  till  it  blinded  him  with  its  glory?  There 
was  a  light  like  that  shining  from  the  bishop's  face,  and  it 
smote  me  to  the  ground.  I  could  not  look  at  it,  '  for  the 
glory  of  that  light,'  and  I  was  obliged  to  accept  Christianity 
as  the  truth.     I  was  converted  upon  the  spot." 

It  was  death  and  resurrection  that  did  it.  The  good 
bishop  laid  down  his  life  in  one  form,  and,  before  the  very 
eyes  of  those  boys,  he  took  it  again  on  a  higher  plane. 
He  became  their  moral  master  because  he  reenacted  in 
all  essentials  the  death  and  resurrection  of  his  Lord. 

This  is  the  one  power,  the  only  power, — that  of  witness- 
martyr, — which  can  transform  the  pagan,  while  it  also 
restores  the  carnal  and  the  backslidden. 

Humanity  everywhere,  when  once  it  sees  it,  must  recog- 
nize its  mastery. 

In  the  Atlanta  campaign  of  our  Civil  War  it  transpired 


BI-CEiYTENNIAL    CELEBRATION.  249 

at  a  certain  juncture  that  General  Howard  was  promoted 
to  a  position  which  another  general  of  superb  gallantry  had 
coveted.  Indeed,  this  rival  of  Howard's  did  temporarily 
command  that  same  corps  for  a  time,  and  he  had  much 
reason  to  expect  the  position,  and  he  never  quite  forgave 
Howard  for  his  good  fortune  in  superseding  him.  Time 
passed.  Howard  led  his  corps  through  the  Georgia  cam- 
paign, and  led  them  up  through  the  Carolinas  to  Washing- 
ton at  the  close  of  the  war.  The  day  but  one  before  the 
Grand  Review  at  Washington  had  come.  General  Sher- 
man, under  whom  both  Howard  and  his  rival  had  served, 
in  the  evening  sent  for  Howard  and  explained  to  him  that 
he  was  in  trouble  concerning  a  feature  of  the  Grand  Review 
next  day. 

"  What's  the  matter?  "  asked  Howard. 

"  Oh,"  said  Sherman,"  since  I  reached  Washington  several 
of  the  army  men  and  some  of  the  politicians  have  been 
after  me;  and  they  are  insisting  that  in  the  parade  to- 
morrow your  old  rival  shall  be  permitted  to  ride  at  the 
head  of  your  old  corps,  and  they  '11  not  take  '  No  ! '  for  an 
answer." 

"That's  strange,"  replied  Howard.  "That's  my  corps  ; 
the  boys  won't  understand  it.  Why  should  I  submit  to 
that?" 

"  Yes,  yes  !  "  said  Sherman  ;  "  but  then,  Howard,  you  are 
a  Christian,  you  are  a  Christian." 

"Well,  I  don't  understand  you,"  replied  Howard;  "but 
when  you  put  the  matter  c;/  tJiat  ground  it  alters  everything 
with  me." 

"You  are  a  Christian,"  repeated  Sherman;  "you  can 
stand  it  and  the  other  man  can't.  Let  him  ride  at  the  head 
of  his  old  corps;  let  him  ride;  but  see  here,  Howard,  this 
is  what  I'll  do  with  you.  You'll  ride  with  me  to-morrow 
at  the  head  of  my  entire  army;  report  to  me  to-morrow 
morning  at  such  an  hour  ;  you'll  ride  with  me." 

"  No,  no !  "  replied  Howard,  "  I  have  no  right  there,  I 
can't  do  that." 

"  Howard,"  said  Sherman,  "  you'll  obey  orders.     I  rank 


250 


/y/v'.ST  BAPTIST   CHURCH. 


you  ;  report  to  me  to-morrow  morning  when  the  columns 
form  ;   you'll  ride  with  me." 

Those  who  were  near  Howard  the  next  morning  when 
the  bugle  sounded  for  the  formation  saw  this  Havelock  of 
our  Civil  War  shrinking  with  embarrassment  from  his 
strange  position.  If  he  could  have  had  his  way  he  would 
have  sunk  out  of  sight,  but  the  order  came,  sent  from 
Sherman,  to  bring  Howard  to  his  side.  I  do  not  know 
that  General  Sherman  made  any  special  claim  to  piety, 
but  in  the  sturdy  moral  nature  of  the  man  there  was 
something  that  told  him  where  a  man  belonged  who 
had  greatness  enough  in  consistency  with  his  religious 
profession  to  die  to  self-interest,  and  then  accept  such 
issue  as  resurrection  to  a  higher  form  of  life  might  accord 
him  ;  and  so  he  brought  Howard  to  his  side,  and  shared  his 
honors  with  him. 

Brethren,  though  self-interest,  worldly  prospects,  and  evil 
spirits  try  to  seduce  us  from  Christ's  law,  as  they  may,  let 
us  be  true  to  the  divine  pattern ;  and  when  all  probations 
are  over,  world  powers  and  even  lost  spirits  will  look  upon 
us  in  the  character  which  Christ's  transforming  principle 
has  perfected  in  us,  and  they  will  approve  the  wisdom 
of  our  choice.  With  one  acclaim  they  will  say,  "  There's 
your  place  at  the  head  of  the  column  ;  go  to  the  front." 


TiiF  CHURCH  OF  Till-:  past. 

By  rev.  GEORGE  DANA  BOARDMAN,  D.D.,  LL.D., 
Honorary  Pastor  First  Baptist  Cliurch  in  Philadelphia. 

"  Remember  the  days  of  old, 
Consider  the  years  of  many  generations  : 
Ask  thy  father,  and  he  will  shew  thee  ; 
Thy  elders,  and  they  will  tell  thee." — Deuteronomy  xxxii  :  7. 

The  Past  and  the  Present  Essentially  One. — All 
that  is  essential  in  the  past  is  one  with  all  that  is  essential 
in  the  present  and  in  the  future.  This  is  the  reason  why 
we  so  often  say,  "  History  repeats  itself" — a  saying  Avhich 
in  its  substance  is  as  old  as  Thucydides.^ 

As  old  Sir  Thomas  Browne  quaintly  says  : 

"  Every  man  is  not  only  himself:  there  have  been  many 
Diogeneses  and  many  Timons,  though  but  few  of  the 
name;  men  are  lived  over  again  ;  the  world  is  now  as  it 
was  in  ages  past ;  there  was  none  then  but  there  has  been 
some  one  since  that  parallels  him,  and  is,  as  it  were,  his 
revived  self" 

Only  non-essentials — fashions  of  raiment,  of  vehicle,  of 
etiquette — have  changed.  The  essentials  themselves  have 
not  changed.  There  is  the  same  material  nature — the  same 
sun,  rising  and  setting,  shining  and  clouded  ;  the  same 
winds,  blowing  now  east,  now  west,  now  a  tempest,  now  a 
zephyr;  the  same  tides,  now  spring,  now  neap;  the  same 
gravitation,   still   giving   all  things  weight.     There  is  the 

1  "  I  shall  be  content  if  those  shall  pronounce  my  history  useful  who  desire 
to  give  a  view  of  events  as  they  did  really  happen,  and  as  they  are  very  likely, 
in  accordance  with  human  nature,  to  repeat  themselves  at  some  future  time  -if 
not  exactly  the  same,  yet  very  similar." — Thucydides'  Hisloria,  I.  2,  2. 

251 


252  FIRST  BAPTIST  CHURCH. 

same  human  nature — the  same  body,  with  heart  to  throb 
and  blood  to  circulate  and  muscle  to  contract  and  nerve  to 
transmit  and  hunger  to  instigate  and  death  to  dissolve  ;  the 
same  intellect  to  imagine  and  reason  and  compare  and 
judge  ;  the  same  heart  to  love  and  hate,  to  joy  and  grieve, 
to  conquer  or  to  be  conquered.  There  is  the  same  divine 
nature— the  same  God,  still  loving  and  rewarding  righteous- 
ness, still  hating  and  punishing  wickedness.  As  there  is  a 
oneness  of  law  through  space,  so  there  is  a  oneness  of  law 
through  time.  And  to-day  we  may  echo  the  words  of 
Koheleth,  as  true  this  morning  as  they  were  millenniums 
ago: 

"  One  generation  goeth,  and  another  generation  cometh  ; 
and  the  earth  abideth  forever.  The  sun  also  ariseth,  and 
the  sun  goeth  down,  and  hasteth  to  his  place  where  he 
ariseth.  The  wind  goeth  toward  the  south,  and  turneth 
about  unto  the  north  ;  it  turneth  about  continually  in  its 
course,  and  the  wind  returneth  again  to  its  circuits.  All 
the  rivers  run  into  the  sea  ;  yet  the  sea  is  not  full  ;  unto  the 
place  whither  the  rivers  go,  thither  they  go  again.  .  .  . 
That  which  hath  been  is  that  which  shall  be;  and  that 
which  hath  been  done  is  that  which  shall  be  done ;  and 
there  is  no  new  thing  under  the  sun." — Ecclcsiastcs  i  14-10. 

The  Present  the  Harvest  of  the  Past. — But  not  only 
is  the  past  in  its  essence  the  same  as  the  present,  the  past 
is  also  the  essential  root  of  the  present.  As  the  germ  is 
but  the  first  stage  of  vegetal  career,  so  the  first  condition 
of  the  earliest  of  our  race  is  but  the  first  stage  of  our 
own.  And  as  the  embryologist  may  detect  in  the  egg  the 
prophecy  and  type  of  the  animal,  so  may  he  who  reads 
history  aright  detect  in  the  experiences  of  those  who  have 
gone  before  us  the  prophecies  and  types  of  our  own.  For 
experience  is  not  indigenous  in  any  human  breast.  Spon- 
taneous generation  is  as  impossible  in  the  spiritual  world 
as  it  is  now   conceded  to  be  in  the  material.     Even   the 


BI-CENTENNIAL    CELEBRATION:  253 

inventions  which  are  the  glory  of  our  century  were  con- 
ceived in  embryo  thousands  of  years  ago,  as  every  well- 
educated  inventor  knows.  So  it  is  with  human  experience 
and  the  progressive  mastery  of  truth.  As  the  oak  is  iden- 
tical with  the  acorn  from  which  it  sprung,  only  larger,  so 
our  experience  is  identical  with  the  experience  of  those 
who  have  gone  before  us,  only  ampler.  And  as  the  animal 
is  identical  with  the  ovum  of  which  it  is  but  the  unfolding, 
so  the  wisdom  which  exists  in  the  world  to-day  is  identical 
with  the  germ-like  notions  which  existed  in  the  breasts  of 
our  ancestors.  They  were  the  seed,  we  are  the  crop;  and 
the  crop  is  of  the  same  kind  as  the  seed,  and,  being  crop, 
it  surely  ought  to  be  larger  than  its  original.  In  other 
words,  whatever  advance  the  world  has  made — whether 
intellectual,  political,  social,  ethical,  religious — has  been 
strictly  genealogical.  As  prophecy  is  rooted  in  history,  so 
the  better  is  rooted  in  what  has  been  good.  Thus  it  comes 
to  pass  that  all  true  reform  is  not  so  much  a  re-form  look- 
ing backward,  as  a  pro-form  looking  forward,  a  genuine 
progress  unfolding  along  the  axis  of  growth.  We  love  to 
talk  of  the  "  logic  of  events."  It  is  a  profound  phrase; 
events  have  their  logic  because  events  are  genealogical, 
succeeding  each  other  along  the  line  of  lineage.  This  is 
true  of  legislations,  inventions,  philosophies,  methods, 
theologies,  morals.  The  very  language  by  which  we 
carry  on  the  processes  of  society — the  very  currency  or 
circulating  medium  of  society  itself — is  immensely  less  a 
manufacture  than  an  inheritance.  Do  we  not  instinctively 
call  it  our  "mother-tongue"?  Yes,  friends,  if  the  lines 
have  fallen  to  us  in  pleasant  places,  it  is  because  our  fathers 
have  left  us  a  goodly  heritage.  It  is  true  in  civics ;  we  are 
reaping  to-day  the  patriotic  sowings  of  a  Washington,  a 
Wallace,  a  Maccabeus.  It  is  true  in  science  ;  we  are  reap- 
ing to-day  the  experimental  sowings  of  a  Newton,  a  Roger 
Bacon,  an  Archimedes.     It  is  true  in  philosophy ;  we  are 


254  FIRST  BAPTIST  CHURCH. 

reaping  to-day  the  thoughtful  sowings  of  a  Francis  Bacon, 
an  Aristotle,  a  Socrates.  It  is  true  in  philanthropy;  we 
are  reaping  to-day  the  generous  sowings  of  a  Howard,  a 
Vincent,  a  Dorcas.  It  is  true  in  theology  ;  we  are  reaping 
to-day  the  systematic  sowings  of  a  Wesley,  a  Calvin,  a 
Paul.  It  is  true  in  religion  ;  we  are  reaping  to-day  the 
devout  sowings  of  a  John,  a  Moses,  an  Abraham.  And 
herein  is  fulfilled  the  true  saying,  "One  sows,  and  another 
reaps."  The  Lord  of  the  harvest  has  sent  us  to  reap  that  on 
which  we  had  not  labored.  Others  labored,  and  we  have 
entered  into  their  labor.  Let  us  look,  then,  to  the  mag- 
nificent ledge  whence  we  were  hewn,  the  glorious  quarry 
whence  we  were  digged, — even  to  Abraham  our  father 
and  Sarah  our  mother.  So  shall  we  also,  like  the  pious 
Hebrews  of  Isaiah's  day,  have  joy  and  gladness,  thanks- 
giving, and  the  voice  of  melody. 

Not  that  the  Past  was  Perfect. — Not  that  the  church 
of  the  past  was  by  any  means  perfect.  Very  far  from  it. 
True,  we  are  accustomed  to  dream  of  the  apostolic  church 
as  a  society  of  angel-saints,  whose  every  act  is  our  law. 
We  forget  that  the  apostolic  church  was,  as  a  matter  of  fact, 
made  up  of  two  classes  of  persons  utterly  unpromising — 
converted  Jews  brought  up  under  the  iron  yoke  of  phari- 
saic  rabbinism  and  converted  Gentiles  brought  up  under 
the  equally  iron  yoke  of  pagan  vices.  Indeed,  most  of  the 
Epistles  were  written  for  the  express  purpose  of  warning 
the  early  churches  against  theological  heresies  and  practi- 
cal immoralities.  For  example  (to  confine  myself  to  the 
Pauline  letters),  St.  Paul  felt  himself  constrained  to  pro- 
test against  the  doctrinal  heresies  at  Rome;  to  pacify  the 
warring  sectaries  of  Corinth  ;  to  reclaim  the  theological 
apostates  of  Galatia ;  to  guard  against  a  pagan  life  in  l^ph- 
esus ;  to  exhort  Euodia  and  Syntyche  to  be  of  the  same 
mind  at  Philippi ;  to  warn  against  the  dangerous  tendencies 
in  Colosse  ;  to  rebuke  the  disorderly  idlers  in  Thessalonica  ; 


BI-CENTENNIAL    CELEBRATION.  255 

to  caution  Timothy  and  Titus  against  the  heresiarchs  who 
were  already  subverting  the  churches.  So  also  the  subse- 
quent trend  of  church-life.  What  is  ecclesiastical  history 
itself  but  the  history  in  large  measure  of  ecclesiastical 
stratagems,  theological  heresies,  and  even  personal  misde- 
meanors and  crimes?  I  only  need  recall  such  painful  words 
as  simony,  indulgences,  inquisition,  witchcraft,  drunken- 
ness, slavery,  war,  sectarianism.  It  must  be  confessed  that 
the  church  of  the  past  was  indeed  a  twilight  church. 

A  Plea  for  the  Past. — But  the  twilight  was  the  twi- 
light of  sunrise,  not  sunset.  What  though  the  church 
began  as  an  infant  in  swaddling  clothes?  Infancy  prophe- 
sies adolescence  ;  adolescence  prophesies  maturity.  The 
spiritual  is  not  first,  but  the  natural ;  then  the  spiritual.  First 
little  children,  then  young  men,  then  fathers.  But  father- 
hood is  rooted  in  childhood;  maturity  is  the  outgrowth  of 
infancy.  The  past  is  the  sire  of  the  now.  It  is  well,  then, 
beloved  fellow-members  of  the  First  Baptist  Church  in 
Philadelphia,  that  we  have  been  devoting  our  week  to  the 
commemoration  of  our  own  glorious  and  reverend  past;  a 
past  doubly  reverend  ;'  first,  because  it  is  a  past;  and,  sec- 
ondly, because,  being  a  past,  it  speaks  authoritatively. 
Alas,  there  is  a  growing  tendency  on  the  part  of  our 
American  people  to  undervalue  the  lessons  of  the  past, 
and  to  tread  with  disdain  on  its  authority.  The  very  word 
"  antiquated  "  has  lost  its  meaning  of  ancient,  and  come  to 
mean  "  worn  out  with  age,  obsolete."  I  remember,  indeed, 
that  Francis  Bacon  has  somewhere  said  that — 

"A  froward  retention  of  custom  is  as  turbulent  a  thing 
as  an  innovation  ;  and  they  that  reverence  too  much  old 
times  are  but  a  scorn  to  the  new." 

But  I  also  remember  that  the  same  Francis  Bacon  else- 
where says,  "The  antiquity  of  past  ages  is  the  youth  of 
the  world  "  ;  the  poet-philosopher  of  course  meaning  that 


256  I-'IRST  BAPTIST  CllURCJI. 

it  is  the  present  which  is  really  old,  and  the  past  which  is 
really  young.  Certainly,  we  ought  to  know  more  than  our 
fathers  knew,  for  we  have  reached  a  maturer  stage  in  the 
world's  life  than  they  reached  ;  the  oak,  although  identi- 
cal with  its  nut,  is  larger.  I  would  not  therefore  exalt  un- 
duly the  value  of  precedents,  or  conclude  that  whatever  is 
ancestral  must  therefore  be  excellent.  On  the  other  hand, 
I  can  not  venture  to  pronounce  the  results  of  thousands  of 
years  of  thoughts  and  experiences  quite  worthless.  A 
brilliant  orator,  himself  in  his  own  day  one  of  the  dough- 
tiest champions  of  innovation,  was  wont  to  enchain  his 
audiences  with  a  eulogy  on  the  Lost  Arts.  It  is  quite 
possible  that  this  Apollo  of  orators  might  have  found  a 
still  richer  theme  on  which  to  expatiate  had  his  silvery 
voice  descanted  on  the  Lost  Virtues. 

"  Vixere  fortes  ante  Agamemnona 
Multi." — Horace. 

I  believe  that  whatever  of  real  excellence  our  forefathers 
taught  or  practised  should  be  accepted  by  us  as  though  it 
were  invested  with  the  scepter  of  empire  ;  all  the  more 
imperial  because  ancestral.  I  can  not  believe  that  the  judg- 
ments of  wise  men,  and  the  institutions  and  customs  formed 
in  times  "  whereof  [to  use  the  grand  phraseology  of  the 
law-books]  the  memory  of  man  runneth  not  to  the  con- 
trary," are  to  be  set  aside  simply  because  they  are  old. 
The  new  may  seem  better ;  but  it  is  because  it  has  the 
charm  of  novelty,  and  relieves  for  a  moment  our  natural 
restiveness.  Great  weight  is  there  in  the  words  of  Edmund 
Burke,  an  orator  whose  eloquence  was  rivaled  by  his  philo- 
sophic sagacity : 

"  It  can  not  be  too  often  repeated,  '  line  upon  line,  precept 
upon  precept,'  until  it  comes  into  the  currency  of  a  pro- 
verb, that  to  innovate  is  not  to  reform.  Rage  and  frenzy 
will  pull  down  more  in  half  an  hour  than  prudence,  delib- 
eration, and  foresight  can  build  up  in  a  hundred  years." 


BI-CENTENNIAL    CELEBRATION.  257 

Yes,  friends,  it  is  well  that  we  have  been  turning  our 
faces  ancientward,  and  making  salaam  to  the  hoary  past. 
And  in  thus  engaging  in  grateful  and  reverential  review, 
we  have  but  obeyed  many  an  ancient  Scripture:  for  exam- 
ple, the  valediction  of  Israel's  lawgiver  : 

"  Remember  the  days  of  old, 
Consider  the  years  of  many  generations  : 
Ask  thy  father,  and  he  will  shew  thee  ; 
Thy  elders,  and  they  will  tell  thee." — Deuteronomy  xxxii :  7. 

Again,  the  expostulation  of  Bildad  the  Shuhite  : 

"  Inquire,  I  pray  thee,  of  the  former  age, 
And  apply  thyself  to  that  which  their  fathers  have  searched  out, 
(For  we  are  but  of  yesterday,  and  know  nothing. 
Because  our  days  upon  earth  are  a  shadow  :) 
Shall  not  they  teach  thee,  and  tell  thee, 
And  utter  words  out  of  their  heart  ?" — Job  viii :  8-10. 

Once  more,  the  injunction  of  Israel's  prophet  of  reform  : 

"  Thus  saith  Jehovah,  Stand  ye  in  the  ways  and  see,  and 
ask  for  the  old  paths,  where  is  the  good  way,  and  walk 
therein,  and  ye  shall  find  rest  for  your  souls." — -Jeremiah 
vi  :    16. 

Thank  God  for  Our  Christian  Heritage. — In  review- 
ing, then,  this  morning  the  church  of  the  past,  let  us  first 
of  all  gratefully  recall  our  Christian  heritage.  By  Chris- 
tian heritage  I  mean  that  heritage  of  primitive  Christianity 
which  Jesus  and  his  apostles,  in  their  sayings  and  writings 
and  institutions,  bequeathed  to  all  Christ's  people,  of  what- 
ever time  or  land  or  sect.  Not  to  human  traditions  or 
decrees  of  ecumenical  conclaves  do  we  go  for  our  knowl- 
edge of  Christian  truths  and  rules  for  Christian  living. 
The  Gospels  and  Epistles  are  the  original  germs  of  all  true 
Christian  theology,  all  true  Christian  institutions,  all  true 
Christian  behavior.  And  the  church  of  the  past,  in  so  far 
as  she  has  really  studied  and  obeyed  these  divine  oracles 
of  the  primeval  Christianity,  has  constantly,  by  her  own 
ever-improving  translations  and  interpretations  and  theol- 
17 


258  FIRST  BAPTIST  CHURCH. 

ogies  and  methods  and  examples,  been  bringing  the  church 
of  the  present — 

"  Heir  of  all  the  ages,  in  the  foremost  files  of  time" — 

Nearer  and  nearer  to  the  primitive  living  fountains 
themselves.  Let  us,  then,  gratefully  commemorate  our 
Christian  heritage  of  the  primeval  Gospel,  as  the  church 
of  the  past  has  been,  through  the  centuries,  transmitting  it 
to  us  more  and  more  thoroughly. 

Thank  God  for  Our  Restored  Heritage. — Again,  let 
us  thank  God  for  our  restored  Christian  heritage.  For, 
although  the  church  of  the  past  was  the  channel  through 
which  the  Christian  Scriptures  have  descended  to  us,  yet 
the  church  of  the  past  has  also,  alas,  been  the  channel 
through  which  these  same  Christian  Scriptures  have  been 
largely  lost,  or  perverted,  or  overlaid  with  traditions,  or 
buried  beneath  ecclesiastical  edicts.  But  let  us  thank  God 
that  out  of  this  same  church  of  the  past  came  forth  Chris- 
tian reformers,  who  protested  against  this  apostasy,  and 
reclaimed  for  the  Church  of  Christ  her  lost  heritage.  Let 
us  pronounce  gratefully  and  reverently  the  names  of 
Wyclif  and  Huss,  Savonarola  and  Luther,  Zwingli  and 
Calvin,  Knox  and  Williams,  Cromwell  and  Fox,  Zinzen- 
dorf  and  Wesley,  Edwards  and  Bushnell.  Let  us  for  once 
turn  away  from  the  creations  of  romance,  and  gaze  on 
stalwart  heroes  of  veritable  flesh  and  blood,  who  once 
walked  with  intrepid  step  this  solid  earth  of  ours.  I  ask 
you  to  wreathe  this  day  fresh  garlands  for  their  memories. 
If  we  are  able  to  celebrate  this  day  our  peaceful  thanks- 
giving, it  is  because  we,  on  whom  the  ends  of  the  world 
are  come,  have  been  brought  hither  over  a  thorny  road 
of  reformers,  over  a  crimson  causeway  of  martyrs.  The 
inheritance  of  the  church  of  to-day  is  compact  and  price- 
less with  the  brawn  and  thews,  skeletons  and  limbs,  of  a 
heroic  past. 


BI-CENTENNIAL    CELEBRATION.  259 

Thank  God  for  Our  Baptist  Heritage. — Again,  let  us 
thank  God  for  our  Baptist  heritage.  By  our  Baptist  herit- 
age I  do  not  mean  the  heritage  bequeathed  us  by  13aptists 
as  a  denomination  ;  for  our  denomination,  illustrious  as  it 
is,  is  hardly  three  centuries  old.  But  I  mean  by  our  Bap- 
tist heritage  the  heritage  of  those  fundamental  principles 
for  which  Baptists  have  peculiarly  and  strenuously  stood  ; 
and  these  fundamental  principles  areas  old  as  the  Christian 
Church  itself  Among  these  fundamental  principles  are  the 
following  :  Absolute  supremacy  of  the  Bible  in  the  sphere 
of  the  religious  life  ;  personal  regeneration  the  essential  con- 
dition of  church-membership;  immersion  the  only  Scrip- 
tural mode  of  baptism  ;  total  separation  of  Church  and  State ; 
absolute  freedom  of  personal  conscience.  These  are  some 
of  the  principles  for  which  our  fathers  bravely  suffered  per- 
secution ;  and  to-day  some  of  these  principles  have  almost 
become  commonplaces  in  a  large  part  of  Christendom. 
This  is  the  peculiar  and  majestic  legacy  left  us  by  the 
apostolic  church ;  lost,  with  here  and  there  a  brilliant 
exception,  for  sixteen  centuries,  and  at  last  reclaimed  and 
restored  by  our  noble  Baptist  fathers.  Short  as  our  eccle- 
siastical history  has  been,  these  principles  which  have  dis- 
tinguished our  denomination  are  so  elemental  and  persua- 
sive that  already  they  have  won  the  adherence  of  five 
millions  of  Christians.  How  illustrious  many  of  these 
Christians  were  (I  limit  myself  to  the  church  of  the  past) 
will  appear  if  I  merely  mention  their  names,  following  the 
alphabetic  order,  and  assigning  but  one  name  to  each 
letter:  Martin  B.  Anderson,  John  Bunyan,  William  Carey, 
Henry  Dunster,  Christmas  Evans,  Andrew  Fuller,  John 
Gill,  Robert  Hall,  George  B.  Ide,  Adoniram  Judson,  Ben- 
jamin Keach,  Sir  Robert  Lush,  John  Milton,  Baptist  W. 
Noel,  John  G.  Oncken,  St.  Patrick,  Josiah  Quincey,  Eze- 
kiel  G.  Robinson,  Charles  H.  Spurgeon,  John  Tombes, 
Thomas    Ustick,    Matthew   Vassar,   Francis   Wayland.     I 


26o  FIRST  BAPTIST  CHURCH. 

reserve  X,  Y,  Z  as  unknown  quantities  in  the  future.  All 
honor  to  these  departed  worthies  !  May  those  who  suc- 
ceed us  in  the  Christian  pilgrimage  have  reason  to  speak 
as  well  of  our  own  contemporaries! 

Thank  God  for  Our  Pilgrim  Heritage. — Again,  let 
us  thank  God  for  our  Pilgrim  heritage.  By  our  Pilgrim 
heritage  I  mean  the  heritage  bequeathed  us  by  our  Pilgrim 
Fathers,  who  landed  at  Plymouth  Rock  two  hundred  and 
seventy-eight  years  ago.  Taking  into  account  the  conse- 
quences of  that  landing,  I  do  not  know  that  a  more  august 
event,  outside  the  realm  of  miracle  and  the  career  of  the 
Nazarene,  has  taken  place  since  human  history  began. 
We  are  accustomed  to  regard  the  Fourth  of  July  as  the 
most  important  day  in  America's  calendar.  But  it  dwin- 
dles into  insignificance  compared  with  Forefathers'  Day. 
Other  nations  have  ofttimes  during  the  ages  declared  and 
maintained  their  independence.  But  the  Pilgrim  Fathers 
consecrated  a  new  hemisphere  to  religion.  Many  others 
had  preceded  them  in  landing  on  the  shores  of  America  : 
but  they  were,  almost  without  exception,  reckless  adven- 
turers, fired  by  ambition  or  avarice.  The  Pilgrims  crossed 
the  Atlantic  for  conscience'  sake,  and  laid  the  foundations 
of  the  American  nationality  on  the  corner-stone  of  per- 
sonal religion.  And  not  only  did  they  consecrate  the 
New  World  to  religion  :  they  consecrated  it  to  Protestant 
religion.  Columbus  and  Vespucius,  Cabot  and  De  Soto, 
were  Roman  Catholics.  In  1622  the  famous  Congregation 
for  the  Propagation  of  the  Faith  was  founded  in  Rome  by 
Gregory  XV,  for  the  express  purpose,  among  others,  of 
establishing  the  power  of  the  Papacy  in  the  New  World. 
But  they  were  too  late.  Two  years  before,  English  Prot- 
estants had  already  landed  on  Plymouth  Rock  ;  and  there, 
as  on  a  rock,  or  true  Peter  indeed,  relaid  the  foundations  of 
Apostolic  Christianity,  whose  ever-enlarging  walls  shall 
yet,  with   the   blessing  of  the  God  of  our  fathers,  inclose 


BI-CENTENNIAL    CELEBRATION.  261 

our  continent  from  Arctic  to  Antarctic.  But  not  only  did 
they  consecrate  the  new  hemisphere  to  Protestant  Evan- 
gelical Christianity:  they  also  consecrated  it  to  republican 
institutions.  While  moored  in  the  harbor  of  Cape  Cod, 
ere  as  yet  they  had  landed,  they  formed  themselves  into  a 
body  politic  by  a  voluntary  solemn  compact  as  follows  : 

"  In  the  name  of  God,  amen  ;  we,  whose  names  are  under- 
written, the  loyal  subjects  of  our  dread  sovereign  King 
James,  having  undertaken,  for  the  glory  of  God,  and  ad- 
vancement of  the  Christian  faith,  and  honor  of  our  king 
and  country,  a  voyage  to  plant  the  first  colony  in  the 
northern  parts  of  Virginia,  do,  by  these  presents,  solemnly 
and  mutually,  in  the  presence  of  God,  and  one  of  another, 
covenant  and  combine  ourselves  together,  into  a  civil  body 
politic,  for  our  better  ordering  and  preservation,  and  furth- 
erance of  the  ends  aforesaid  ;  and  by  virtue  hereof,  to  enact, 
constitute,  and  frame,  such  just  and  equal  laws,  ordinances, 
acts,  constitutions,  and  offices,  from  time  to  time,  as  shall 
be  thought  most  convenient  for  the  general  good  of  the 
colony.  Unto  which  we  promise  all  due  submission  and 
obedience." — Bancroffs  History  of  the  United  States,  vol.  i, 
page  309. 

Thus,  in  the  cabin  of  the  "  Mayflower,"  was  drawn  up  a 
Charter  nobler  than  that  which  aristocracy  had  extorted 
from  royalty  at  Runnj'mede — the  Magna  Charta  of  repub- 
lics, or  constitutional  democracy. 

These,  and  a  thousand  other  blessings,  ever  widening  as 
the  reapings  of  each  successive  year  yield  new  seeds  for 
ever  multiplying  harvests,  do  we  owe  to  that  little  band  of 
immortal  heroes.  True,  they  had  their  grave  faults  ;  for 
they  were  men.  They  had  also  their  greatnesses ;  for  they 
were  men  of  God.  Never  walked  on  earth  heroes  more 
majestic.  Fit  emblem  is  Plymouth  Rock  of  the  heroes 
whose  consecrating  tread  has  made  it  everlasting;  fit  em- 
blem of  their  granite  faith,  breasting,  like  an  adamantine 
tower  in   mid-ocean,  the  storm-blasts  of  pontiff  and  king. 


262  FIRST  BAPTIST  CHURCH. 

of  constable  and  star-chamber,  of  Atlantic  perils  and  sav- 
age wilds.  Majestic  representatives  were  they  of  the  long 
procession  of  the  Sons  of  Faith.  For  all  history,  from 
the  day  that  Abraham  went  forth  from  the  land  of  his 
fathers,  to  these  days,  when  the  maiden,  trusting  in  Abra- 
ham's God,  leaves  mother-land  to  unfurl  the  banner  of 
Immanuel  on  the  distant  ramparts  of  heathenism — all  his- 
tory, I  say,  is  full  of  Pilgrim  Fathers.  Indeed,  Messiah's 
empire  grows  only  as  Messiah's  followers  are  really  Pil- 
grims. 

Thank  God  for  Our  Philadelphia  Heritage. — Once 
more,  let  us  thank  God  for  our  Philadelphia  heritage.  By 
our  Philadelphia  heritage  I  mean  the  heritage  bequeathed 
us  by  the  founders  and  early  constituents  of  the  First 
Baptist  Church  in  Philadelphia.  Last  evening  it  was  our 
privilege  to  listen  to  the  elaborate,  conscientious,  graphic 
recital  of  our  church  history  by  our  noble  fellow-member, 
Dr.  Keen.  It  is  not  needful,  then,  that  I  descant  on  our 
general  history.  Permit  me,  however,  at  this  point  to  speak 
a  few  words  about  the  particular  heritage  left  us  by  the 
pastors  of  our  venerable  church.  Not  that  these  alone  are 
worthy  of  public  mention  in  our  reverent  commemoration. 
Indeed,  what  could  the  noblest  generals  in  the  world  achieve 
without  the  help  of  private  soldiers  ?  Of  all  people  in 
the  world,  Baptists  are  the  very  last  to  talk  of  any  essen- 
tial distinction  between  "  clergy  and  laity."  Of  all  Chris- 
tians in  the  world.  Baptists  are  the  very  first  to  insist  on 
the  equal  Christian  priesthood  of  all  believers — alike 
ordained  and  unordained,  renowned  and  obscure,  old  and 
young,  masculine  and  feminine.  O  followers  of  the  Lamb 
of  God  !  your  royal  priesthood  is  not  an  Aaronic  pedigree 
of  flesh  and  blood  ;  nor  is  it  an  apostolical  succession  by 
a  sacerdotal  touch  ;  nor  is  it  stately  enthronization  in 
St.  Augustin's  chair  in  Canterbury.  Your  royal  priest- 
hood is  the  apostolic  succession  of  Christian  character. 


B/- CENTENNIAL    CELEBRATION.  261 

There  is  a  silent  ministry 

That  knows  no  rite  of  book  or  bell  ; 
That  eyes  divine  alone  can  see, 

And  heaven's  own  language  only  tell. 


'  It  has  no  altars  and  no  fane, 

No  waiting  crowd,  no  tuneful  choir; 
It  serves  from  beds  of  speechless  pain, 
From  lips  that  anguish  brands  with  fire. 


'  From  homes  of  want,  and  loss,  and  woe, 

Its  worship  rises  up  to  Him 
Who  hears  those  accents  faint  and  low. 

Through  the  loud  praise  of  cherubim. 

'  The  dauntless  heart,  the  patient  soul, 

That  faces  life's  severest  stress 
With  smiling  front  and  stern  control, 
Intent  its  suffering  kin  to  bless  ; 


'  The  meek,  who  gather  every  hour 

From  brier  and  thorn  and  wayside  tree. 
Their  largess  scant  of  fruit  or  flower. 
The  harvest  of  humility  ; 

'  The  tempered  will  that  bows  to  God, 

And  knows  him  good,  though  tempests  lower, 
That  owns  the  judgments  of  his  rod 
Are  but  the  hidings  of  his  power  ; 

'  That  sings  the  sun  behind  the  cloud. 

Intent  to  labor,  pray,  and  wait. 
Whatever  winds  blow  low  or  loud, 
Sure  of  the  harbor,  soon  or  late ; 

'  Like  the  small  blossoms  by  the  way, 

Enduring  cold,  enjoying  sun. 
In  rain,  or  snow,  or  sprinkling  spray, 
Cheerful  till  all  their  life  is  done. 


'  Dear,  homely  ministers  of  love, 

Used  and  forgot,  like  light  and  air. 
Ah,  when  we  reach  that  life  above. 

They  will  be  stately  seraphs  there." 

— Rose  Terry  Cooke. 


264  FIRST  BAPTIST  CHURCH. 

Nevertheless,  it  is  as  true  to-day  as  it  was  in  the  days  of 
Timothy  that  if  any  one  longs  for  the  office  of  bishop  he 
desires  a  good  work.  As  a  matter  of  fact,  a  given  pastor, 
although  perhaps  no  better  than  the  humblest  sheep  of  his 
flock,  is  generally  the  bell-wether,  and,  as  his  bell  tinkles, 
his  sheep  follow  him.  And  this  is  right,  for  no  flock  is 
so  wise  that  it  does  not  need  a  shepherd.  And  a  glorious 
line  of  shepherds  have  led  the  First  Baptist  Flock  in  Phila- 
delphia. Let  me  reverently  recall  their  names,  beginning 
with  the  year  1746,  when  our  church  (to  use  phraseology 
of  those  days)  was  "  reconstituted."  The  faithful  Jcnkin 
Jones — every  time  we  commemorate  our  Saviour's  dying 
love  we  use  the  silver  flagon  bequeathed  by  him  in  1760; 
the  comprehensive  Morgan  Edwards,  founder  of  Rhode 
Island  College,  author  of  "  Materials  Towards  a  History 
of  the  Baptists  " ;  the  accomplished  William  Rogers,  five 
years  a  chaplain  in  the  Continental  army,  twenty-two  years 
professor  of  Oratory  and  Belles-Lettres  in  our  own  Uni- 
versity of  Pennsylvania ;  the  sympathetic  Elhanan  Wui- 
chester,  whose  sanguine  temperament,  however,  got  the 
advantage  over  his  judgment;  the  devoted  Thomas  Ustick, 
whose  honored  name  was  perpetuated  in  the  prsenomen 
of  the  eminent  architect,  Thomas  U.  Walter ;  the  versatile 
William  Staiighton,  first  corresponding  secretary  of  the 
American  Baptist  Board  of  Foreign  Missions,  first  presi- 
dent of  Columbian  University;  the  conscientious  Henry 
Ilolcombc,  lecturer  on  "  Primitive  Theology,"  first  corre- 
sponding secretary  of  the  Pennsylvania  Peace  Society  ;  the 
eloquent  William  T.  Brantly  ;  the  vigorous  George  B.  Ide ; 
the  s:d\Vi\\y  James  H.  Cnthbert ;  the  irenic  son  of  the  Apostle 
to  the  Karens  ;  the  earnest  Frederick  F.  Briggs  ;  the  bril- 
liant Kerr  Boyce  Tupper.  Not  that  these  noble  pastors 
were  by  any  means  perfect.  Far  from  it.  But  on  this  day 
of  grateful  commemoration  we  will  not  justify  Griffith's 
saying  to   Queen  Catharine  concerning  Cardinal  Wolsey  : 


BI-CENTENNIAL    CELEBRATION.  265 

"  Xoble  Madam, 
Men's  evil  manners  live  in  brass  ;  their  virtues 
We  write  in  water." — King  Henry  I'lII.     Act  iv,  sc.  2. 

How  virtuous  these  pastors  were  may  be  inferred  from 
the  fact  that  between  1746  and  1894 — a  period  of  one  hun- 
dred and  forty- eight  years — our  venerable  church  has  had 
but  eleven  pastors  ;  that  is  to  say,  the  average  length  of  pas- 
torate has  been  nearly  fifteen  years — a  fact  quite  as  credit- 
able to  the  staying  capacity  of  our  beloved  church  as  of  any 
pastor  who  has  had  the  honor  of  presiding  over  it.  To  the 
eminent  names  mentioned  above  I  ought  to  add  other  emi^ 
nent  names,  although  not  pastors  ;  such  as  Ebcnczcr  Kin- 
nersley,  the  intimate  associate  of  Benjamin  Franklin  in  his 
scientific  studies,  and  eighteen  years  professor  of  the  Eng- 
lish Tongue  and  Oratory  in  our  University  of  Pennsylvania, 
whose  renown  is  perpetuated  in  one  of  our  University 
memorial  windows  ;'the  name  oi  Benjamin  R.  Loxley,  one  oi 
the  most  useful  of  our  city  missionaries  ;  the  name  oi  Hcnian 
Lincoln  Wayland,  illustrious  as  editor,  patriot,  philan- 
thropist, refornier.  Let  us,  then,  devoutly  thank  God  for 
our  Philadelphia  heritage — our  pastors,  assistants,  dea- 
cons, officers,  teachers  (Sunday-school  and  Mission),  men, 
women,  children — all  our  burden-bearers  during  these  two 
hundred  years.  Let  us,  with  Bunyan's  Pilgrim,  enter 
the  library  of  the  palace  called  Beautiful,  and  gaze  on  its 
rarities,  and  study  its  records  of  ancient  worthies  whom 
the  Lord  of  the  Hill  has  taken  to  himself  and  to  glory. 

The  World's  Debt  to  the  Church. — Looking  back 
on  the  Church  of  the  Past  as  a  whole,  we  can  not  but  be 
impressed  with  the  vastness  of  the  world's  debt  to  the 
Kingdom  of  God.  Taking  the  lowest  view,  its  value  as 
bearing  on  earthly  interests  is  beyond  compute.  It  is  not 
too  much  to  say  that  to  the  Church  of  the  living  God, 
vastly  more  than  to  any  human  institution  or  institutions, 
human  society  is  indebted  for  its  ideas  of  personal  and  civic 


266  FIRST  BAPTIST  CHURCH. 

freedom  ;  for  its  equitable  jurisprudence  ;  for  the  security 
of  its  lives  and  property;  for  its  peaceful  homes;  for  the 
sacredness  of  the  marriage  bond  ;  for  its  practical  arts  ;  for 
its  growing  ameliorations  ;  for  its  general  intelligence  and 
virtue;  in  a  word,  for  its  civilization.  I  am  aware  that  this 
is  not  a  universally  accepted  opinion.  I  am  aware  that  it  is 
given  out  that  the  civilizer  of  mankind  is  not  the  Churchy 
but  the  academy  ;  not  the  Bible,  but  the  laboratory.  Why, 
then,  I  demand,  do  you  find  high  civilization  only  in  Chris- 
tendom ?  Ah,  had  it  not  been  for  this  same  Kingdom  of 
the  Nazarene  which  these  champions  of  a  Christless  civili- 
zation so  affect  to  despise,  these  champions  themselves 
might  to-day,  like  the  ancient  Druids,  have  been  smeared 
and  tattooed,  and  heaving  at  some  cromlech-stone  on  which 
to  offer  a  human  sacrifice;  or,  like  the  ancient  sages  of 
Egypt,  have  been  prostrating  themselves  before  the  ibis  of 
the  Nile,  or  the  sarcophagus  of  a  deified  bull.  No  ;  when 
the  history  of  this  world  shall  be  fully  and  truly  written, 
as  it  never  has  been,  but  will  most  surely  be  ;  when  the 
forces  which  have  really  preserved  and  guided  society  shall 
be  duly  recognized  and  set  forth,  each  in  its  proper  rela- 
tion and  aspect ;  when  the  superficial  and  phenomenal 
shall  be  stripped  off  and  the  controlling  and  elemental  laid 
bare — then  will  it  be  seen  and  confessed  that  the  forces 
which  had  really  kept  and  shaped  society  and  impelled  it  in 
the  line  of  advance  were  neither  wealth,  nor  industry,  nor 
political  sagacity,  nor  commerce,  nor  art,  nor  philosophy, 
nor  education,  nor  civilization, — useful  and  noble  as  these 
are, — but  Christian  character  as  shaped  in  the  golden  mold 
of  the  Mountain  Code.  And  the  chroniclers  who  now 
offer  strange  incense  at  the  shrines  of  human  statesmanship 
and  earthly  genius  and  natural  development  will  reverently 
turn  to  the  Church  of  the  living  God  ;  and,  like  the  ancient 
pilgrims  climbing  the  heights  of  the  city  of  the  Great  King, 
will  send  to  each  other  the  grateful  challenge  : 


BI-CENTENNIAL    CELEBRATION.  267 

"  Walk  about  Zion,  and  go  round  about  her  : 
Tell  the  towers  thereof. 
Mark  ye  well  her  bulwarks, 
Consider  her  palaces  ; 
That  ye  may  tell  it  to  thegeneration  following." — Psalm  xlviii :  12,13. 

Ay,  walk  about  Zion,  go  round  about  the  walls  of  our 
city  of  solemnities — the  capital  of  allied  moral  forces,  time's 
metropolitan  city.  Survey  her  towers — the  turrets  of  her 
truths  and  doctrines.  Mark  ye  well  her  bulwarks — 
the  ramparts  of  her  institutions;  her  Sabbath,  her  wor- 
ship, her  sacraments,  her  Sunday-schools,  her  missions, 
her  scholarship,  her  reforms,  her  charities.  Consider  her 
palaces — her  castles  of  character  ;  her  apostles,  martyrs, 
missionaries,  educators,  reformers,  benefactors,  heroes. 
Behold,  arching  over  all,  the  dome  of  her  King,  God-with- 
us. 

"  How  charming  is  the  place 
Where  my  Redeemer,  God, 
Unveils  the  beauty  of  his  face, 
And  sheds  his  love  abroad  ! 


Not  the  fair  palaces, 

To  which  the  great  resort, 
Are  once  to  be  compared  with  this, 

Where  Jesus  holds  his  court. 

Give  me,  O  Lord,  a  place 

Within  thy  blest  abode, 
Among  the  children  of  thy  grace, 

The  servants  of  my  God." 

— Samuel  Stknnett. 


I  would  have  you,  then,  to-day  gather  inspiration  from 
the  past.  I  would  have  you  in  sympathy  with  its  mighty 
heart.  I  would  have  you  join  yourselves  with  "  the  glori- 
ous company  of  the  apostles,  the  goodly  fellowship  of  the 
prophets,  the  noble  army  of  martyrs,  the  holy  church 
throughout  all  the  world  ";  with  all  those  who  have  come 
out  of  the  great  tribulation  and  washed   their  robes   and 


268  FIRST  BAPTIST  CHURCH. 

made  them  white  in  the  blood  of  the  Lamb.     Thus  alone 
shall  we  fall  into  line  with  the   true   apostolic   succession  : 

"  Both  theirs  and  ours  Thou  art, 
As  we  and  they  are  Thine  ; 
Kings,  Prophets,  Patriarchs,  all  have  part 
Along  the  sacred  hne. 

"Oh  bond  of  union,  dear 

And  strong  as  is  Thy  grace  ; 
Saints,  parted  by  a  thousand  year. 
May  there  in  heart  embrace." 

— John  Keble. 

Thus  alone  shall  we  ascend,  as  another  Mount  of  Trans- 
figuration, and  behold  the  glorified  forms  of  ancient  saints, 
whether  from  Pisgah  or  from  Carmel,  from  Jerusalem  or 
from  Philadelphia,  and  listen  to  their  communings  with 
Him  who  has  accomplished  His  own  exodus,  and  ascended. 
Even  heaven  itself  will  be  redolent  with  the  perfumes  of 
earth's  saintly  heroic  memories.  Have  we  not  read  of 
God's  book  and  bottle  of  remembrance  ? 

Thank  God  for  the  Church  of  the  Future. — But 
the  past  is  not  goal  ;  it  is  only  starting-point.  Great  as 
the  past  is,  its  greatness  consists  not  in  its  being  fruit,  but 
in  its  being  germ.  Time,  as  it  evermore  grows  along  the 
axis  of  the  present,  evermore  has  its  roots  in  the  past, 
evermore  has  its  fruits  in  the  future — each  successive  gen- 
eration reaping  the  past  and  sowing  the  future  ;  each  suc- 
cessive harvest  larger  than  the  seed  from  which  it  sprung. 
Here  is  the  secret  of  mankind's  inspiration  and  progress. 
Advance  as  it  will,  it  can  never  touch  horizon  ;  ascend  as 
it  will,  it  can  never  touch  zenith.  This  ever-receding  hori- 
zon is  the  world's  beckoner  forward  ;  this  ever-ascending 
zenith  is  the  world's  beckoner  upward.  For  while  we  look 
backward  for  counsel,  we  look  forward  for  mainspring. 
Not  so  much  the  achievements  of  the  past  as  the  possibili- 
ties of  the  future — these  are  mankind's  inspirations.  While 


BI-CENTENNIAL    CELEBRATION.  269 

the  past  is  a  majestic  heritage,  it  becomes  our  available 
inheritance  only  as  we  convert  it,  so  to  speak,  into  a  prom- 
issory bond,  and  invest  it  for  compound  accumulation  in 
the  ever-multiplying  activities  and  ventures  of  the  future. 
Sublime  it  was  when  Joshua  commanded  sun  and  moon 
to  stand  still,  and  sun  and  moon  obeyed  him.  Sublimer 
it  was  when,  advancing  from  city  to  city,  from  fortress  to 
fortress,  Joshua  vanquished  the  promised  land  for  Jehovah 
and  Jehovah's  people.  Yes,  let  us  thank  God  that  there  is 
a  future  not  less  than  a  past. 

Thank  God  that  the  Past  and  the  Future  are  One. 
— Lastly,  let  us  thank  God  that  the  past  and  the  future  are 
one.  For  mankind,  from  Adam  to  the  last  that  shall  be 
born,  is,  so  to  speak,  but  one  person.  Human  society, 
whatever  the  nationality,  the  epoch,  the  condition,  is  one 
vast  corporation — corpus,  body.  And  membership  in  that 
one  body  is  universal  co-membership.  We  are  all  mem- 
bers one  of  another,  and  each  is  co-member  and  inter- 
member  with  all.  Each  person  is  truly  great,  not  as  an 
individual,  but  as  a  member. 

"  The  individual  withers,  and  the  world  is  more  and  more." 

— "  Locks  ley  Hall.'' 

And  equilibrium  of  body  is  effected  by  equilibrium  of 
opposing  forces.  Conservatism  and  progressiveness  illus- 
trate statics  and  dynamics — these  are  the  opposing,  yet 
equipoising,  forces  of  Nature's  mechanics.  The  centri- 
fugal force  of  the  past,  tending  to  move  on  in  the  same 
straight  line  of  precedent ;  and  the  centripetal  force  of  the 
future,  tending  toward  time's  gravitating  center — these  are, 
in  way  of  resultant,  a  curvilinear  force,  rolling  mankind  in 
the  stupendous  orbit  of  duty  around  the  Sun  of  Righteous- 
ness. The  secret  of  life  is  the  equilibrium  of  diastole  and 
systole ;  the  secret  of  locomotion  is  the  counterplay  of 
opponent  muscles,  contracting  and  relaxing.     Exquisite  is 


270  FIRST  BAPTIST   CIIUKCII. 

Tennyson's  insight  into  nature  and  mankind,  when  he  sings 
of  the  "  grooves  of  change." 

Summary. — I  summon  you,  then,  fellow-members  of  the 
First  Baptist  Church  in  Philadelphia,  and  also  you,  our 
fellow-members  of  Christ's  one  catholic  Church,  to  a  three- 
fold thanksgiving.  Thank  God  for  the  past,  thank  God  for 
the  future,  thank  God  that  past  and  future  are  one.  Herein 
is  our  Master's  saying  true: 

"  One  sows,  and  another  reaps.  I  sent  you  to  reap  that  on 
which  ye  have  not  labored.  Others  have  labored,  and  ye 
have  entered  into  their  labor." — foliii  iv :  36-38. 

May  God  hasten  the  day  when  sower  and  reaper  shall 
rejoice  together  at  the  heavenly  ingathering  by  the  Lord  of 
the  tiarvest  ! 

"O  Almighty  God,  who  has  knit  together  thine  elect  in 
one  communion  and  fellowship,  in  the  mystical  body  of  thy 
Son  Christ  our  Lord  ;  Grant  us  grace  so  to  follow  thy 
blessed  saints  in  all  virtuous  and  godly  living,  that  we  may 
come  to  those  unspeakable  joys  which  thou  hast  prepared 
for  those  who  unfeignedly  love  thee;  through  Jesus  Christ 
our  Lord.     Amen." — All  Saints  Day. 


THE  CHURCH  OF  THE  FUTURE. 

By  KERR  BOYCE  TUPPER,  D.D.,  LL.D., 
Pastor  of  the  F"irst  Baptist  Church  of  the  City  of  Philadelphia. 

"  And  the  kingdom  and  the  dominion  and  the  greatness 
of  the  kingdom  under  the  whole  heaven  shall  be  given  to 
the  saints  of  the  Most  High,  whose  kingdom  is  an  ever- 
lasting kingdom,  and  all  dominions  shall  serve  and  obey 
Him." — Daniel  vii :  27. 

Around  the  Grand  Mosque  of  Damascus  there  clusters 
a  vast  accumulation  of  history.  On  the  spot  where  it 
stands  to-day,  after  a  lapse  of  nearly  fourteen  hundred 
years,  there  was  originally  erected,  in  the  first  century  of 
our  era,  a  heathen  temple.  In  the  middle  of  the  fourth 
century  this  temple  was  destroyed  by  the  Roman  general, 
Theodosius  the  Great,  and  on  its  ruins,  in  the  beginning 
of  the  fifth  century,  Arcadius,  the  elder  son  of  Theodosius, 
built  a  Christian  house  of  worship.  This  latter  house, 
though  for  three  hundred  years  the  Cathedral  of  Damas- 
cus, became  in  the  eighth  century  a  Moslem  possession, 
and  for  some  thousand  years  now  it  has  been  used  as  a 
Mohammedan  mosque.  No  visit  to  Damascus  is  quite 
complete  without  a  sight  of  this  historic  old  structure. 
The  most  interesting  feature,  however,  of  this  curious 
building  is  not  its  age  nor  its  history  nor  its  present  promi- 
nence, but  rather  a  single  sentence  engraved  above  the  ves- 
tibule. The  inscription  is  in  Greek  characters,  and  reads 
thus:  "Thy  Kingdom,  O  Christ,  is  an  everlasting  king- 
dom, and  Thy  dominion  endureth  throughout  all  genera- 
tions." There,  on  a  Mohammedan  mosque,  and  after  ten 
centuries  of  Moslem  occupation,  cut  deep  in  the  enduring 


272  FJNST  BAPTIST  CHURCH. 

rock,  the  Christian  record  remains — a  record  of  faith,  of 
hope,  of  confidence,  on  the  part  of  the  Damascus  Christians, 
in  the  ultimate  triumph  of  the  Kingdom  of  God.  And  well 
so  ;  for  what  a  history  the  Church  of  God  had  presented 
even  in  that  far  away  day  !  How  glorious  !  How  chequered  ! 
Bravely,  boldly  it  had  marched  out  of  Judea  where  truth  and 
life  were  provincial,  even  centripetal,  into  all  the  regions  of 
earth,  the  conqueror  even  of  the  throne  of  the  Caesars.  In 
this  early  fourth  century,  I  say,  this  ancient  and  venerable, 
this  divine  and  everlasting  empire  of  Jesus  had  gone  forth 
conquering  and  to  conquer  with  mighty  power  and  majes- 
tic sway ;  and  God's  children  in  that  distant  period  had  faith 
that  not  only  would  it  longer  exist  and  persist,  but,  also, 
grow  and  expand  in  beauty,  glory  and  power.  No  wonder 
the  stone-embalmed  faith  of  these  heroic  spirits,  "  Thy 
kingdom,  O  Christ,  is  an  everlasting  kingdom  and  Thy 
dominion  endureth  throughout  all  generations."' 

As  we,  brethren  in  Christ,  stand  to-day  on  the  threshold 
of  the  twentieth  century  of  our  Christian  era  and  the  third 
century  of  this  historic  Church  the  confident  faith  of  the 
Damascenes  is  our  abiding  faith.  Almost  two  thousand 
years  have  rolled  away  since  our  Lord  and  Master  opened 
in  Bethlehem  the  marvelous  scene  of  divinity  in  humanity, 
and  still  the  church  of  His  grace  abides.  Other  kingdoms 
have  perished,  mowed  down  ruthlessly  by  the  resist- 
less scythe  of  time — Babylon,  Media,  Macedonia,  Persia, 
Syria,  Egypt,  Greece,  Rome — each  swept  away  almost  as 
though  it  had  never  flourished,  while  the  Church  of  God, 
founded  on  the  Rock  by  Mary's  Son,  lives  and  grows. 
What  strong  and  startling  transitions  has  it  not  witnessed 
in  the  successive  transitions  of  history  :  from  one  ancient 
dominion  to  another;  from  Judaism  to  Christianity;  from 
Greek  thought  to  Roman  institution  ;  from  Roman  to  Bar- 
barian imperialism  ;  from  an  extreme  renaissance  of  letters 
in  the  fifteenth  century  to  the  religious  recoil  of  the  six- 


B I- CENTENNIAL    CELEBRATION.  273 

teenth  century;  from  Middle  Age  Holy  Roman  empire  to 
modern  nationalism  ;  from  Feudalism's  fall  to  F'rench  license 
of  liberty,  and  from  Parisian  Republicanism  to  American 
Federal  Democracy.  Through  all  this  the  Church  of  God 
has  passed,  surviving  the  age  of  barbarism,  surviving  the 
restoration  of  letters,  surviving  the  period  of  free  thought 
and  skepticism,  surviving  the  attacks  of  sword  and  argu- 
ment, until  to-day,  because  of  its  inherent  and  tremendous 
vitality,  we  find  laid  at  its  feet  the  intellectual  assent  and 
the  spiritual  consent  of  the  world's  strongest  thinkers  and 
purest  characters. 

And  the  church  of  the  future  will  be  more  glorious  than 
the  church  of  the  past.  In  a  peculiarly  fascinating  address 
by  perhaps  the  most  gifted  and  accomplished  of  nine- 
teenth century  statesmen — indeed,  as  I  recall,  it  was 
among  the  last  public  utterances  of  the  great,  good  man 
whose  ashes  Westminster  Abbey  has  recently  received — 
there  was  spoken  before  a  sympathetic  and  enthusiastic 
audience  this  ringing,  royal  sentence  :  "  Let  us  believe 
and  know  that  Christianity  is  advancing  all  the  time;  that 
though  men's  hearts  may  fail  them  through  fear,  the  Church 
goes  on  in  God-guided  and  irresistible  movements."  To 
this  happy  conclusion  of  William  Ewart  Gladstone  must 
come  every  intelligent,  appreciative  student  of  history.  The 
world  grows  better  from  century  to  century  because  God 
reigns  supreme  from  generation  to  generation.  Owing  to 
Christianity's  hold  upon  the  world  we  see  progress  and 
improvement  everywhere  and  in  all  directions — in  material 
conditions,  in  social  relations,  in  philanthropic  endeavors,  in 
educational  movements,  in  moral  elevation,  in  Christian 
growth  and  attainment.  Human  history,  as  another  has 
finely  said,  is  not  a  "  descending  and  downward  spiral  but 
an  ascending  and  upward  spiral,"  going  by  sure  evolu- 
tionary processes  from  the  less  to  the  great,  from  the  good 
to  the  better,  gathering  past  efforts  for  the  production  of 
18 


274 


FIRST  BAPTIST  CHURCH. 


larger  and  nobler  harvests  ;  or,  as  the  optimistic  poet,  Whit- 
tier,  so  well  puts  it : 

"  All  the  good  the  past  has  had 
Remains  to  make  our  own  time  glad." 

With  this  deeply  imbedded  conviction  the  pastor  of  this 
Church  wishes,  on  this  bi-centennial  occasion,  to  speak 
with  faith  and  hope  on  "  The  Church  of  the  Future,"  as 
our  Honorary  Pastor  this  morning  spoke  with  such  wisdom 
and  grace  on  "  The  Church  of  the  Past."  And  the  Church 
of  the  Future  in  its  relation  to  six  distinct  doctrines  and 
duties:  Worship,  the  Bible,  Jesus  Christ,  Sociology, 
Christian  Unity  and  World-wide  Evangelization.  Each  of 
these  has  vital  relation  to  personal  character,  social  beauty, 
ecclesiastical  development  and  Christian  attainment.  Upon 
each  of  these  we  can,  of  course,  only  touch  in  the  present 
discussion. 

I.  In  the  first  place,  what  will  be  the  attitude  of  the  Church 
of  the  Future  in  relation  to  the  Public  Worship?  With  all 
confidence  may  we  not  say,  that,  come  what  may,  the  Church 
will  never  cease  to  worship  ?  The  worshipful  impulse  is  as 
deep  as  it  is  universal,  as  pervasive  as  it  is  prevalent.  The 
ancients  used  to  say,  "  This  world  is  not  for  him  who  is 
not  a  worshiper."  Worshipfulness  is  a  differentiating  char- 
acteristic of  the  rightly  constituted  soul.  In  his  "  Elements 
of  Religion  "  Canon  Liddon  has  an  inspiring  chapter  on 
this  theme,  in  which  he  points  out  how — 

"Upon  desert  plains  and  wild  promontories  and  in  gor- 
geous temples  priesthoods  and  kings  and  multitudes  have 
taken  prayer  for  granted  as  being  the  most  practical  as  well 
as  the  most  interesting  and  solemn  concern  of  life." 

It  is  said  that  Pericles,  the  distinguished  Athenian  states- 
man, was  in  the  habit   of  introducing  many  of  his   public 


BI-CENTENNIAL    CELEBRATION.  275 

addresses  with  devout  worship.  Plato  gives  it  as  his  con- 
viction— 

"  That  the  best  and  noblest  action  which  a  virtuous  man 
can  perform  and  that  which  will  most  promote  his  success 
in  life  is  to  live  by  vows  and  prayers  in  constant  intercourse 
with  the  gods." 

And  yet  in  no  system  of  religion  have  prayer  and  praise 
a  position  of  such  importance  and  dignity  as  in  the  Chris- 
tian religion.  And  this  instinctive  worshipful  impulse  will 
be  more  intelligently  educated  and  more  reverently  devel- 
oped in  the  future  days  of  Christianity's  evolution.  With 
the  advancing  years  will  come  to  the  Church  of  God 
clearer  visions  and  broader  outlooks  and  a  deepened  sense 
of  righteousness,  with  profounder  awe  in  the  presence  of 
spiritual  realities ;  and  along  with  this  there  can  not  fail  to 
be  introduced  a  more  noble,  God-pleasing,  eternity-piercing 
worship  in  the  hearts  of  God's  children:  more  of  reverence 
and  less  of  ritualism  ;  more  of  simplicity  and  less  of  the 
spectacular ;  more  of  humility  and  less  of  hollowness  ;  more 
of  fellowship  and  less  of  formality;  more  of  real  life  service 
and  less  of  mere  lip-service ;  everywhere  the  conviction 
growing  that  "  God  cares  more  for  the  breaking  heart  of  a 
returning  prodigal  than  for  all  the  inisercrcs  of  chanting 
pharisees." 

The  church  of  the  future,  I  say,  will  be  more  reverent 
toward  God  and  truth  than  the  church  of  the  past,  catch- 
ing more  and  more  of  the  spirit  of  the  higher  intelli- 
gences of  the  universe,  as  in  number  ten  thousand  times 
ten  thousand  and  thousands  of  thousands  they  fall  down  in 
amazement  and  with  glorified  rapture  and  ecstasy  inexpres- 
sible ascribe  honor  and  glory  and  majesty  and  dominion 
and  power  to  Him  that  sitteth  upon  the  throne  and  unto 
the  Lamb  forever.  What  a  magnificent  spectacle  of  celes- 
tial glory,  as  the  courts  of  Heaven   ring  and  resound,  beat 


276  FIRST  BAPTIST  CHURCH. 

and  surge  with  their  adoring  acclamations  !  And  shall  not 
we,  even,  here  on  earth  become  more  and  more  filled  with 
the  same  adoration  and  praise  as  from  hearts  that  believe 
and  love  we  shout  forth  the  exultant  song,  "  Glory  be  to 
the  Father  and  to  the  Son  and  to  the  Holy  Ghost,  as  it  was 
in  the  beginning,  is  now  and  ever  shall  be,  world  without 
end.  Amen  ! "  Truly,  with  the  enlarged  and  deepened 
spiritual  culture  of  the  Church  must  come  more  devout 
hearts,  more  reverent  worship,  more  inspiring  uplift  of  the 
spirit  into  fellowship  with  God  through  effective  service. 
"  God  is  a  Spirit  and  they  that  worship  Him  must  worship 
Him  in  spirit  and  in  truth." 

n.  In  the  second  place,  what  will  be  the  attitude  of  the 
Church  of  the  Future  in  relation  to  the  Bible,  as  the  final 
and  authoritative  revelation  of  God's  will  and  way  to  men  ? 
Well  may  we  ask  this  question,  for  of  all  the  books  that 
fill  our  libraries  and  thrill  our  hearts  this  is  the  most  won- 
derful. It  is  the  fullest  and  richest  thesaurus  of  divine 
wisdom  and  human  knowledge,  in  genesis  and  genius,  in 
plan  and  purpose,  in  trend  and  teaching,  in  effluence  and 
end  as  far  above  all  mere  human  productions  as  the  sky  is 
above  the  clouds  that  drift  beneath  it — in  poetry  above 
Iliad  and  Odyssey,  Milton's  odes  and  Shakspere's  plays; 
in  history  above  Livy  and  Tacitus,  Hallam  and  Hume;  in 
philosophy  above  Bacon  and  Hamilton,  Descartes  and 
Locke ;  in  biography  above  Plutarch  and  Lamartine, 
Remusat  and  Voltaire;  in  romance  above  George  Eliot 
and  Scott,  Buhver  and  Thackeray;  in  Christian  meditation 
and  morals  above  Thomas  a  Kempis'  "  Imitation  of  Christ  " 
and  Bunyan's  "  Pilgrim,"  Pascal's  "  Thoughts"  and  Hooker's 
"  Homilies."  Great  and  good  as  are  many,  if  not  all,  of  these 
immortal  works — some  of  them  rising  like  lofty  mountain 
peaks  to  catch  and  present  to  the  world  the  highest  gleams 
of  human  genius — we  could  willingly  see  them  and  all  else 


BICENTENNIAL    CELEBRATION.  277 

of  man's  production  burned  into  ashes  or  buried  in  the  sea, 
if  at  their  expense  we  might  save  to  our  hearts  and  lives, 
in  time  and  in  eternity,  this  one  book  wliose  author  is  God, 
whose  subject  is  man,  whose  object  is  salvation.  Hear 
Tennyson  as  he  declares  that  "others  may  hang  raptur- 
ously on  the  flowing  eloquence  of  Plato,  and  Homer's 
classic  verse,  and  Seneca's  sententious  lore,"  but,  adds  he, 

"  Nor  these,  but  Judah's  hallowed  bards,  to  me 
Are  dear:  Isaiah's  noble  energy  ; 
The  tempered  grief  of  Job  ;  the  artless  sham 
Of  Ruth  and  pastoral  Amos  ;  the  high  songs 
Of  David ;  and  the  tale  of  Joseph's  wrongs 
Simply  pathetic,  eloquently  plain." 

All  books,  it  has  been  said,  are  of  two  classes:  books 
made  from  other  books  and  books  from  which  other  books 
are  made,  and  to  the  latter  class  in  a  preeminent  degree 
belongs  this  word  of  God.  Not  a  single  volume  but  sixty- 
six  volumes  ;  not  a  single  author  but  forty  authors  ;  not  the 
product  of  a  single  year  but  of  sixteen  hundred  years  ;  not 
with  one  birthplace,  but  with  many  birthplaces — on  the  bank 
of  the  Nile,  in  the  Arabian  desert,  in  the  Land  of  Promise, 
in  Asia  Minor,  in  classic  Greece  and  imperial  Rome;  not 
dealing  with  a  single  theme,  but  with  all  themes,  biography 
and  ethics,  philosophy  and  poetry,  romance  and  religion  ; 
not  the  offspring  of  the  human  mind  but  of  Him  in  whom 
are  gathered  all  the  treasures  of  wisdom  and  knowledge. 
"  Geneva,"  said  Tallyrand,  speaking  with  scorn,  "  Geneva 
is  the  grain  of  musk  that  perfumes  all  Europe."  More 
than  this  is  this  divine  oracle,  even  the  power  that  molds 
and  guides  the  destinies  of  all  the  nations  that  stand  in  the 
front  rank  of  civilization. 

And  at  this  present  time,  as  it  seems  to  the  truest  and 
most  intelligent  supporters  of  the  Old  Book,  things  are 
shaping  themselves  as  never  before  for  unwonted  and  un- 
limited victories  for  the  Word  of  God.    A  gifted  author  has 


278  FJKST  BAPTIST  CHURCH. 

recently  called  attention  of  the  Christian  world  to  five 
fects  and  conditions  which,  as  he  well  declares,  are  a  sure 
prelude  to  a  superb  Biblical  renaissance  :  the  publication 
and  distribution  of  the  revised  Scriptures  ;  the  profound 
delving  and  exhaustive  research  of  historical  critics  ;  the 
patient  investigation  of  modern  science ;  the  recent  dis- 
covery and  explorations  of  ancient  cities  by  faithful  archae- 
ologists ;  and,  along  with  all  this,  the  growing  intelligence 
and  restlessness  of  the  modern  Christian  church  which 
is  rejecting  as  never  before  man-made  creeds  and  formulas. 
O  Sons  of  God  before  me  at  this  hour,  fear  not  the  contro- 
versies now  raging  about  the  Bible!  The  ages  of  theo- 
logical agitation  and  discussion  have  always  been  ages 
of  progress  and  promise.  "  It  is  the  still  waters  that  breed 
miasma.  It  is  the  vessels  which  lie  long  at  anchor  in 
peaceful  harbors  that  rot  or  rust."  Better  the  agitations 
of  the  days  of  Augustine  and  Athanasius  and  Luther 
than  the  tranquillity  of  the  Middle  Ages.  Because  of 
present-day  controversies  and  future  upheavals  many  age- 
long interpretations  of  the  Bible  must  perish,  many  ancient 
theories,  many  human  traditions,  but  the  Bible  as  it  came 
from  God  will  abide, 

"  Unhurt  amid  the  war  of  elements, 
The  wreck  of  matter  and  the  crush  of  worlds." 

Let  come  all  Tubingen  school  criticism  on  the  New 
Testament  and  all  Wellhausen  and  Kuenen  criticism  on 
the  Old  Testament,  but  the  word  of  God  attacked  will, 
because  of  its  marvelous  vitality  and  growing  potentiality, 
remain,  like  its  Author,  the  same  yesterday,  to-day  and 
forever.  And  with  its  existence  and  growth  will  become 
dearer  to  the  Christian  Church  than  ever  in  the  past  such 
fundamental  truths  as  these  :  the  greatness  and  goodness 
of  God  ;  the  Divine  nature  and  atoning  death  and  radiant 
resurrection  of  Jesus  Christ ;  the  personality  and  deityhood 


BI-CENTENNIAL    CELEBRATION.  279 

of  the  Holy  Spirit ;  the  lost  condition  of  man  and  his  need 
of  a  renewal  from  above ;  the  soul's  free  justification  before 
Heaven  ;  the  spiritual  character  of  the  Church  ;  the  inalien- 
able right  of  private  judgment  and  conscience,  and  the 
electrifying  hope  and  fact  of  eternal  life  through  Him  who 
said  of  Himself,  "  I  am  the  resurrection  and  the  Life  ;  he 
that  believeth  in  me  even  though  he  were  dead  yet  shall 
he  live." 

HI.  In  the  third  place,  what  will  be  the  attitude  of  the 
Church  of  the  Future  in  relation  to  Jesus  Christ,  God's 
Son  and  man's  Saviour. 

Here  we  confront  the  great  problem  of  Christianity 
than  which  no  greater  can  ever  arise.  It  deals  with 
the  divine  Lord  of  Glory  :  His  miraculous  incarnation, 
His  spotless  character.  His  transcendent  teaching,  His 
majestic  deeds.  His  sacrificial  death.  His  glorious  resurrec- 
tion, His  radiant  ascension.  His  position  at  the  right  hand 
of  the  Majesty  on  high,  and  His  abiding  presence  in  human 
life  and  history,  A  truer,  more  pregnant  sentence  the 
great  Christlieb  never  uttered  than  when  he  wrote  that 
Christ  is  Christianity,  as  Plato  was  never  Platonism  and 
Mohammed  never  Mohammedanism  and  Buddha  never 
Buddhism.  We  often  speak  of  Christianity's  unparalleled 
power  and  yet  let  us  remember  that,  since  the  stream  can 
not  rise  higher  than  its  source,  Jesus  the  Christ  is  the 
living  personal  force  because  of  whom  all  ages  and  races 
have  been  agitated  and  convulsed.  Recall  the  splendid 
words  of  Dr.  Wace  in  his  notable  controversy  with  Huxley  : 
"  The  strength  of  the  Christian  Church  is  not  in  its  creed, 
but  in  its  Christ."  In  spite  of  all  its  faults  the  Church  has 
conveyed  to  the  minds  of  millions  of  men  a  living  image 
of  Christ.  They  see  Him  there;  they  hear  His  voice; 
they  listen  and  they  believe  in  Him.  It  is  not  so  much  that 
they  accept  certain  doctrines  taught  by  Him  as  that  they 


28o  FIRST  BAPTIST  CHURC1L 

accept  Him  Himself,  their  Lord  and  their  God.  It  is  with 
this  living  personal  force  that  agnosticism  has  to  deal;  and 
as  long  as  the  Gospels  present  Him  to  human  hearts,  so 
long  will  the  Christian  faith  and  the  Christian  Church,  in 
their  main  characteristics,  be  vital  and  permanent  forces  in 
the  Christian  world.  Here,  believe  me,  is,  and  ever  shall  be, 
Christianity's  glory,  the  Son  of  God  and  the  Son  of  Mary 
— the  Christ  who  on  earth  matched  every  sermon  with  a 
service,  every  doctrine  with  a  doing,  every  creed  with  a 
character ;  the  Christ  who  in  heaven  is  enthroned  amid 
native  scenes  and  clothed  with  divine  authority,  recognized 
more  and  more  in  the  Church  and  world  as  the  King  of 
kings  and  the  Lord  of  lords. 

And  this  exalted  Christ,  let  us  never  forget,  is  the  once 
crucified  Christ.  More  in  the  church  of  the  future  if  possible 
than  in  the  church  of  the  past  will  the  cross  be  emphasized 
and  glorified.  The  richest  theme  of  the  church  will  ever 
be  God  in  Christ  reconciling  the  world  unto  Himself — not 
through  a  strange,  mysterious  incarnation,  though  Christ 
was  "  God  manifest  in  the  flesh  ";  nor  through  the  illum- 
ination of  matchless  doctrine,  though  of  Christ  it  was  said 
"  Never  man  spake  like  this  man  " ;  nor  through  the  glory 
of  spotless  character,  though  Christ  "  knew  no  sin  neither 
was  guile  found  in  his  mouth  "  ;  nor  through  the  majesty 
of  miraculous  deeds,  though  Christ  cured  the  sick  and 
healed  the  blind  and  raised  the  dead  ;  but  God  in  Christ 
reconciling  the  world  unto  Himself  through  the  blood  of 
a  transcendent,  an  all-sufficient,  an  unrepeatable  atonement 
for  human  redemption — Jesus  Christ  and  Him  crucified. 
Much  of  the  preaching  in  our  day,  even  in  evangelical 
pulpits,  is  struck  to  a  lower  key.  It  is  Christ  to  be  sure, 
but  not  Christ  crucified.  It  deals  much  with  the  life  of 
Christ,  in  its  tender  human  sympathies — the  Christ  whose 
face  was  sculptured  benevolence,  whose  hand  was  friend- 
ship's   symbol,   whose    eye    was    liquid    sympathy  for  all 


BI-CENTENNIAL    CELEBRATIOX.  28 1 

human  burdens  and  woes;  much  with  the  works  of  Christ 
as  the  pattern  and  inspiration  of  all  helpful  doing  ;  much 
with  the  words  of  Christ  as  a  divine  philosophy,  with 
heights  to  which  no  human  imagination  has  ascended  and 
depths  which  no  human  plummet  lias  fathomed  and  breadths 
which  no  human  mind  has  compassed.  Now,  these  are 
well  enough  in  their  place,  but  they  are  not  central  and 
fundamental.  They  are  incidental  rather  than  essential, 
ephemeral  rather  than  eternal,  facts  rather  than  truths, 
mere  chippings,  as  it  were,  from  the  grand  corner-stone  on 
which  is  reared  the  everlasting  and  everglorious  super- 
structure of  divine  glory  and  human  redemption.  The 
Cross  is  the  central  truth  of  the  gospel.  Jesus  Christ  and 
Him  crucified  is  the  primary,  fundamental,  energizing  truth 
of  the  Christian  system — not  Christ  the  perfect  man,  nor 
Christ  the  elevating  teacher,  nor  Christ  the  self-sacrificing 
philanthropist,  but  Christ  '*  mighty  to  save  "  through  the 
unlimited  power  of  His  redeeming  blood.  As  another  has 
said,  the  heart  of  the  Gospel  is  redemption,  and  the  essence 
of  redemption  is  the  substitutionary  sacrifice  of  Jesus  Christ, 
our  Lord.  Christianity's  center  is  the  Cross.  From  this 
scene  of  shame  and  glory,  anguish  and  victory,  all  the  radii 
of  the  Gospel  go  out  in  lines  of  living  light.  Redemption  is 
the  grand  principle  into  which  all  our  religion — doctrinal, 
experimental  and  practical — may  be  generalized.  There 
is  no  truth  in  revelation  that  does  not  point  to  the  atoning 
Son  of  God  ;  no  right  desire  of  human  nature  that  does 
not  meet  in  Him  ;  no  duty  in  life  of  which  He  is  not  either 
the  perfect  fulfilment  or  the  most  cogent  incentive.  In 
the  Cross,  says  Spurgeon  truly,  man  may  behold  the  con- 
centration of  eternal  thought,  the  focus  of  infinite  purpose, 
the  center  of  divine  and  illimitable  wisdom  ;  for  Christ 
crucified  is  the  corner-stone  of  all  Christian  creed  and  prac- 
tice, worship  and  discipline,  union  and  extension.  Before 
the  bowed  head  and  bleeding  heart  of  impotent  humanity 


282  FIRST  BAPTIST  CHURCH. 

steps  forth  Christianity  with  its  crucified  Christ  and  de- 
clares, as  it  points  to  the  world's  Redeemer,  "  Christ  hath 
redeemed  us  from  the  curse  of  the  law,  being  made  a 
curse  for  us  "  ;  "  He  tasted  death  for  every  man  "  ;  "  He  is 
the  propitiation  for  the  sin  of  the  whole  world  "  ;  "  His  own 
self  bore  our  sins  in  His  own  body  on  the  tree."  And 
then  that  magnificent  declaration  that  seems  to  sum  up  all : 
"  If  the  blood  of  bulls  and  goats  and  ashes  of  a  heifer, 
sprinkling  the  unclean,  sanctifieth  to  the  purifying  of  the 
flesh,  how  much  more  shall  the  blood  of  Christ,  who 
through  the  Eternal  Spirit  offered  Himself  without  spot  to 
God,  purge  your  consciences  from  dead  works  to  serve  the 
living  God." 

Here,  in  this  Christ  and  in  Him  alone,  find  we  a 
personal  revelation  and  a  satisfactory  demonstration  of  an 
atoning  sacrifice  for  sin.  To  use  Krummacher's  beautiful 
figure,  the  Cross  is  the  condition  which  carries  off  the 
destroying  flash  from  our  race  by  Christ  attracting  it  to 
Himself.  "  I,  if  I  be  lifted  up  from  the  earth  will  draw  all 
men  to  me,"  that  is  the  divine  decree,  the  eternal  fiat, 
"  Lifted  up."  Not  through  physical  force  :  Mohammed  and 
the  Picardian  hermit  may  trust  to  the  sword.  Not  through 
merely  intellectual  supremacy  :  Plato  and  Socrates  excelled 
in  that.  Not  simply  through  moral  teaching :  Seneca  is 
conspicuous  as  a  moralist.  Not  through  any,  nor  through 
all  of  these  would  the  Son  of  Man  lift  the  universe  to  the 
throne  of  God,  but  through  the  reconciliation  of  man  to 
God  by  the  all-efficacious  blood  of  an  everlasting  Cove- 
nant. 

Believe  me,  friends,  there  is  no  peradventure  here.  The 
Cross  is  no  experiment.  As  sure  as  Jesus  was  crucified 
and  as  sure  as  the  oath  of  God  is  true,  so  true  is  there 
redemption  on  Calvary.  The  wisdom  which  conceived  the 
plan  of  the  satisfaction  of  the  divine  government  by  the 
sacrifice  of  the  Son   of  God   Himself  in  the  place  of  the 


BI-CENTENNIAL    CELEBRATION.  283 

sinner  is  unerring  wisdom.  The  authority  which  com- 
manded the  execution  and  promised  redemption  is  as 
unquestioned  as  the  right  of  the  Ahnighty  to  the  throne 
of  the  universe.  The  power  which  is  arranged  for  the 
accomphshment  of  the  purpose  is  the  power  able  to  bring 
under  contribution  to  this  end  the  whole  machinery  of 
nature  and  grace,  even  the  power  of  the  Lord  God  Omnipo- 
tent. And  the  love  which  inspired  the  wisdom  to  conceive 
and  the  authority  to  command  and  the  power  to  execute 
is  the  unchangeable  nature  of  Jehovah  Himself. 

"  O  glorious  Cross  !   Faith  trusts  the  day  to  see 
When  hope  shall  turn  all  eyes,  love  draw  all  hearts  to  thee  !  " 

The  message  of  the  pulpit  has  been  and  shall  more  than 
ever  be  characteristically  Christo-centric  :  Christ  the  God, 
Christ  the  man,  Christ  the  God-man,  the  living  Christ,  the 
dying  Christ,  the  ascended  Christ,  the  reigning  Christ. 
Believe  me,  brothers,  of  all  the  themes  that  inspire  human 
hearts  and  fire  human  lips,  this  alone  is  sufficient  to  magnify 
the  name  of  God,  exalt  the  divine  Son,  convict  and  convert 
human  souls  and  transform  a  Paradise  Lost  with  all  its 
blight  and  woe  into  a  Paradise  Regained  with  all  its  celes- 
tial songs  and  eternal  triumphs  ;  and  prompted  by  this 
conviction,  nay,  held  by  it  as  yon  planet  is  held  in  its  orbit 
by  the  law  of  gravity,  each  ambassador  of  Christ  should, 
with  his  face  turned  to  his  Master,  lift  the  prayer, 

"  In  offering  Thy  salvation  free, 
Let  all  absorbing  thought  of  Thee 
My  mind  and  soul  engross  ; 
And  when  all  hearts  are  moved  and  stirred 
Beneath  the  influence  of  Thy  Word 
Hide  me  behind  Thy  Cross  !  " 

Christ !  Christ !  Not  ethics,  nor  moral  philosophy,  nor 
astronomy,  nor  geology,  nor  history,  nor  political  economy, 
but  Christ  on  Calvary's  summit,  the  center  of  humanity's 
highest  hopes,  noblest  aspirations,  and   divinest  life.     As 


284  FIRST  BAPTIST  CHURCH. 

Fra  Angelico,  the  saintly  Italian  painter,  would  never  go 
to  his  palette  and  brush  to  do  work  on  the  figure  of  Jesus 
without  first  partaking  of  the  Communion,  so  let  us,  breth- 
ren in  the  ministry,  precede  our  pulpit  duty  by  a  prayerful 
visit  to  Calvary  and  its  Cross.  Oh  !  some  day  the  words 
of  Bowring  will  have  a  new  meaning  and  be  sung  with  a 
new  rapture  : 

"  In  the  Cross  of  Christ  I  glory, 
Towering  o'er  the  wrecks  of  time, 
All  the  light  of  sacred  story, 
Gathers  round  its  head  sublime." 

IV.  In  the  fourth  place,  what  will  be  the  attitude  of  the 
Church  of  the  Future  to  the  Problem  Sociological. 

A  most  practical  and  important  question  this,  also,  pecu- 
liarly suited  to  our  day  and  generation.  Ours  is  pre- 
eminently a  day  of  practical  benevolence  and  utilitarian 
tendencies.  We  are  unlike  all  of  our  predecessors.  The 
Roman  craved  the  display  of  wondrous  power  and  imperial 
sway.  The  Greek  delighted  to  lose  himself  in  the  abstruse 
labyrinth  of  metaphysics.  The  Hebrew  made  it  part  of  his 
religion  to  bow  down  before  hoary  rites  and  flaming  robes 
and  bloody  sacrifices.  We  live  in  a  stern  age  of  facts,  an 
age  in  which  society  is,  as  never  in  the  past,  emphasizing 
sociology,  social  psychology,  social  ethics,  social  politics ; 
an  age,  as  Stuckenberg  has  well  said,  which  teaches  that 
religion  means  the  salvation  of  the  soul  but,  also,  as  it 
meant  with  Jesus,  the  feeding  of  the  hungry,  the  clothing 
of  the  naked,  the  healing  of  the  sick,  the  visiting  of  the 
prisoner,  and  relief,  comfort  and  help  for  the  whole  being; 
in  short  an  age  for  the  most  comprehensive  and  perfect 
application  of  Christian  truth  to  all  social  classes  and  all 
social  relations.  "  Pure  and  undefiled  religion  before  our 
God  and  P^ather  is  this,  to  visit  the  widows  and  the  father- 
less in  their  affliction  and  to  keep  unspotted  from  the 
world." 


BI-CENTENNIAL    CELEBRATION.  285 

"  It's  comin'  yet,  for  a'  that, 
That  man  to  man,  the  world  o'er, 
Shall  brothers  be  for  a'  that." 

The  Church  at  last  is  beginning  to  apprehend  the  truth 
of  Keim's  significant  sentence:  "The  rehgion  of  Jesus 
meant  the  Fathership  of  God  for  man,  the  Sonship  of  man 
for  God,  and  the  infinite  spiritual  good  of  the  Kingdom  of 
Heaven  is  Fatherhood  and  Sonship."  And  with  the  deeper 
life  and  broader  outlook  which  the  coming  century  will 
bring  to  the  children  of  God  there  will  be  felt  with  a  new 
power,  and  taught  with  a  new  emphasis,  the  sublime  truth 
that  there  is  nothing  secular  which  religion  can  not  both 
touch  and  glorify;  that  God  never  meant  His  saints  to 
have  one  Gospel  for  Sunday  and  another  for  Monday,  one 
religion  for  the  Church  and  another  for  the  world,  one 
conscience  for  Caesar  and  another  for  Jehovah  ;  that  good- 
ness is  not  a  little  island  here  and  there  in  the  great  ocean 
of  life  but  rather  the  all-permeating  salt  that  fills  every 
part  of  the  bright,  broad  sea.  Surely  if  a  pagan,  standing 
centuries  ago  in  the  dim  twilight  of  natural  religion  could 
nobly  say,  "  I  am  a  man  and  nothing  that  concerns  man 
can  be  foreign  to  me,"  much  more  earnestly  and  intelli- 
gently should  the  same  sentiment  fill  the  soul  of  every 
follower  of  the  Christ,  who  lovingly  taught,  along  with  the 
exalted  fatherhood  of  God,  the  sympathetic  brotherhood 
of  man.  And  the  church  of  the  future  will  offer  more 
prayers,  not  only  for  the  saving  of  human  souls,  but  also 
for  the  amelioration  also  of  the  material  condition  of  all 
mankind,  lifting  on  high  the  earnest  cry  of  Eliot, 

"When  wilt  Thou  save  the  people, 
O  God  of  mercy,  when  ? 
The  people,  Lord,  the  people, 
Not  thrones  and  crowns  but  men  ! 
Flowers  of  Thy  heart,  O  God,  are  they  ; 
Let  them  not  pass  like  weeds  away. 
Their  heritage  a  sunless  day. 
God  save  the  people." 


286  FIRST  BAPTIST  CHURCH. 

And  if  all  this  sociological  work  be  noble  and  true  it  must 
have  a  Christian  basis.  There  is  a  world  of  meaning  in 
the  short  sentence  of  the  great  Tholuck,  "  Every  service 
must  have  God  for  its  Father  if  it  have  earth  for  its 
mother."  It  is  not  insignificant  that  the  Crusader's  sword 
had  a  cross-bar  hilt.  "  Its  blade  was  keener  in  battle  be- 
cause he  could  kneel  before  it  in  devotion."  Let  the  church 
of  the  future  see  to  it  that  it  base  and  prosecute  all  of  its 
sociological  work  in  consecrated  sympathy  with  the  life 
and  teaching  of  Him  whose  mission  it  was  to  preach  the 
Gospel  to  the  poor,  to  bind  up  the  broken-hearted,  to  give 
deliverance  to  the  captive,  and  recovery  to  the  faint,  and 
to  preach  the  acceptable  year  of  the  Lord.  No  such  altru- 
ism in  the  world  is  there  like  that  taught  and  exemplified 
by  the  religion  which  pathetically  and  sympathetically  ex- 
horts, "  Bear  ye  one  another's  burden  and  so  fulfil  the  law 
of  Christ  "  and  "  Look  not  every  man  on  his  own  things 
but  every  man  also  on  the  things  of  others." 

"  O  brother  man  !  fold  to  thy  heart  thy  brother; 
Where  pity  dwells  the  peace  of  God  is  there  ; 
To  worship  rightly  is  to  love  each  other, 
Each  smile  a  hymn,  each  kindly  deed  a  prayer." 

V.  In  the  fifth  place,  what  will  be  the  attitude  of  the 
Church  of  the  Future  in  relation  to  Christian  Unity? 

To  this  interesting  question  it  may  be  answered  that 
there  never  was  among  God's  people  as  to-day  such  a 
unity  of  Spirit  in  the  bonds  of  peace.  Ours  is  an  age  of 
religious  toleration,  of  spiritual  liberty,  a  glad  period  of 
minimizing  differences  and  emphasizing  agreements  in  the 
Church  of  Christ.  But  do  not  dream  even  of  all  denom- 
inations becoming  organically  one.  Men  differ  too  widely 
in  birth  and  education  and  providential  callings  for  this 
ever  to  be  accomplished.  The  universal  law  of  God  in 
grace,  as  in  nature,  is  this:  unity  in  diversity.  The  stars, 
though  having  fellowship  with  one  another  through  fellow- 


BI-CENTENNIAL   CELEBRATION.  287 

ship  with  the  central  luminary,  differ  greatly  in  size  and 
color  and  distance  from  the  sun.  Each  Christian  man  must 
have  his  own  Christian  convictions,  his  own  denominational 
affinities.  There  should  be  in  the  Church  no  boneless, 
nerveless  liberality.  As  Henry  Van  Dyke  in  his  "  Church, 
Her  Ministry  and  Sacraments  "  says,  "  Men  can  not,  ought 
not  to  renounce  their  personal  convictions.  If  we  should 
dissolve  all  Christian  denominations  to-day  it  would  create, 
not  union  but  disunion.  If  we  should  renounce  all  creeds 
the  world  would  not  have  peace  but  confusion."  And  yet 
with  absolute  fidelity  to  the  great  fundamental  truths  of 
the  Gospel,  the  Church  shall  more  and  more  realize  the 
prayer  of  the  Master  "that  they  all  may  be  one  as  Thou 
art  Father  in  me  and  I  in  Thee " ;  not  one  in  organic 
union,  for  that  is  not  the  union  of  Father  and  Son,  but 
one  in  heart  and  purpose,  in  will  and  work — a  union 
spiritual  and  indissoluble.  And  the  central  point  of  union 
must  be  in  Jesus  Christ,  the  Author  and  Finisher  of  our 
common  hope  and  faith.  "All  things  are  yours,  whether 
Paul  or  Apollos  or  Cephas,  all  are  yours,  and  ye  are 
Christ's  and  Christ  is  God's."  Differ  speculatively  Chris- 
tian men  and  women  may,  but  differ  essentially  they  never 
can,  so  long  as  they  agree  upon  absolute  loyalty  to  Jesus 
Christ  as  Sovereign  and  Saviour.  Our  controversial 
swords  snap  when  we  bend  together  before  the  pierced 
One.  As  a  Baptist  I  delight  to  recognize  the  worth  and 
work  of  noble  men  of  other  denominations  than  my  own, 
and  to  sing  with  the  Methodist  Wesley,  "  Jesus,  Lover  of 
My  Soul,"  and  with  the  Episcopal  Toplady,  "  Rock  of 
Ages  Cleft  for  Me,"  and  with  the  Congregationalist  Palmer, 
"  My  Faith  Looks  up  to  Thee,"  and  with  the  Presbyterian 
Bonar, "  Glory  be  to  God  the  Father,"  and  with  the  Reformer 
Luther,  "A  Mighty  Fortress  is  our  God,"  and  with  the 
Catholic  Newman,  "  Lead  Kindly  Light,"  and  with  the 
Unitarian  Bowring,  "  In  the  Cross  of  Christ  I  Glory,"  and 


288  FIRST  BArriST  CHURCH. 

with  the  Quaker  Barton,  "  He  Dwells  in  Cloudless  Light 
and  Shines,"  and  with  the  Baptist  Fawcett,  "  Blessed  be 
the  Tie  that  Binds  our  Hearts  "  ;  and  then  rejoice  to  hear 
the  voices  of  all  these  joining  in  the  glad  hymn  of  common 
faith  and  inspiration, 

"  Like  a  mighty  army 
Moves  the  Church  of  God, 
Brothers,  we  are  treading 
Where  the  Saints  have  trod  ; 
We  are  not  divided, 
All  one  body  we, 
One  in  hope  and  doctrine 
One  in  charity." 

VI.  In  the  sixth  place,  what  will  be  the  attitude  of  the 
Church  of  the  Future  in  relation  to  World-wide  Evan- 
gelization ? 

The  spirit  of  missions,  which  is  the  spirit  of  Christ,  is 
recognized  and  actualized  to-day  as  perhaps  never  before. 
The  history  of  the  sacred,  self-sacrificing  anointing  nine- 
teen hundred  years  ago  repeats  itself  from  time  to  time. 
Mary,  of  Bethany,  is  a  representative  of  thousands  to-day 
who,  with  more  light  than  this  saintly  woman,  and  clearer 
visions  of  the  Christ,  and  a  broader  survey  of  God's 
Kingdom  on  earth,  pour  out  the  best  gifts  of  hand  and 
heart  and  mind  and  life  upon  Him  who  rejoices  to  be 
known  as  the  Saviour  of  the  nations.  As  twenty  centuries 
ago  so  also  to-day,  there  may  be  witnessed  both  in  our 
land  and  in  the  regions  of  darkness  beyond  the  sea  the 
costly  box  of  spikenard,  the  ardent  impulse  of  affection, 
the  splendid  deed  of  devotion,  the  sweet  aroma  of  sacrifice, 
all  crowned  with  the  loving  appreciation  of  Jesus.  One 
hundred  years  ago  the  church  drew  out  of  its  hiding-place 
where  for  centuries  it  had  laid,  in  almost  absolute  inutility, 
the  glorious  commission  of  its  Lord  ;  and  since  that  time 
how  the  Christian  Church  has  rejoiced  in  the  consecrated 
labors,  on  mission  fields,  of  a  heroic  host — men   like  Bray- 


BICENTENNIAL    CELEBRATION.  289 

nard  and  Buchanan,  Carey  and  Clough,  Egede  and  Eliot, 
Heber  and  Hall,  Judson  and  Jewett,  Lovvrie  and  Living- 
ston, Martyn  and  Moffat,  Newell  and  Nott,  Richards  and 
Rice,  Vinton  and  Vanderkempf,  Xavier  and  Zinzendorf! 
The  worldly  great  are  honored  in  granite  and  brass  and  in 
the  hearts  of  their  countrymen  but  the  monument  to  these, 
higher  and  broader  than  the  limits  of  human  glory,  has 
a  base  as  wide  as  the  field  of  Messiah's  reign  on  earth, 
while  its  apex  shall  not  be  finished  until  the  last  proclama- 
tion of  the  Gospel  shall  be  heard  among  men.  Worldly 
magnates  like  Alexander  and  Napoleon  will  be  forgotten 
and  literary  potentates  like  Plato  and  Seneca  pass  into 
oblivion,  but  the  noble  deeds  of  these  God-inspired  heroes 
will  live  forever,  their  influence  co-extensive  with  the  story 
of  Christ's  great  love.  Verily,  I  say  unto  you,  where- 
soever this  Gospel  shall  be  preached  throughout  the  whole 
world  this,  also,  that  they  have  done  shall  be  spoken  of  as 
a  memorial  of  them. 

"  There  are  lives  of  noble  living  never  known  abroad, 
For  this  world  has  heroes  whom  her  crowds  would  not  applaud, 
Not  by  clash  and  clamor  is  the  Gospel  message  told  ; 
Not  by  the  blast  of  trumpet  does  the  Father's  Will  unfold  ; 

But  by  patient  toil  and  thought, 

Faith  and  prayer  through  practice  wrought, 

These  their  fruits  will  bear 

Here  and  everywhere." 

And  yet  splendid  as  have  been  in  the  past  the  sacrifices 
and  results  in  interest  of  world-wide  evangelization  may 
we  not  confidently  expect  to  witness  in  this  direction 
richer  achievements  for  the  Christ  in  the  coming  century  ? 
One  of  the  most  inspiring  signs  of  this  is  found  in  the 
absence  to-day  of  criticisms  heard  in  other  days  respecting 
the  Divine  plan  of  missions — now  by  the  historian  Froude, 
now  by  the  romancist  Dickens,  now  by  the  litterateur 
Carlyle,  now  by  the  Governor-General  Sir  Leipel  Griffin, 
now  by  the  physician  Oscar  Lenz,  now  by  the  Hindu  lec- 
19 


igo 


FIRST  BAPTIST   CHURCH. 


turer  Mozoomdar,  and  now  by  even  the  Christian  minister 
Canon  Taylor;  men  either  with  no  eye  to   see  the  noble 
act  of  sacrifice  for  Christ  or  with   no  heart  to  appreciate 
the    height    and    depth    and     length    and    breadth    of    its 
immortal    meaning    and    its    eternal   worth.     Few   in  this 
present  time  stand  up  and  out  in  boldness  and  proclaim  as 
once  they  dared  to  proclaim,  "  Christianity  is  a  miserable 
failure  except  in  Europe  and  America;  the   ministers   of 
the   Gospel    are    pampered    sons   of  fortune   who    live   in 
elegant  houses  and  feed  on  the  fat  of  the  land  while  their 
converts  grovel  in  the  dust  at  their  feet;  no  real  impres- 
sions are  made  upon  the  superstitions  and  vices  of  barbar- 
ianism ;    all    the    converts    are    '  rice    Christians,'    proving 
allegiance  to  the  new  faith  for  what  they  can  get  out  of  it; 
even   where   a   nation  or  tribe  becomes  nominally  Chris- 
tianized   it  is  but  a  surface-finish,  a  thin  veneer  of  Chris- 
tianity   which    kills    off  the   unfortunate    people    that   are 
coated  with  it  by  inducing  them  to  adopt  civilized  ways 
to    which    their    climate    and    life    are    alike    unsuited " — 
declarations  which  have  drawn  from  Professor  Drummond 
the  satirical   remark  "  Missionary  reports   are   said  to  be 
valueless  ;  they  are  not  half  so  valueless  as  anti-missionary 
reports."     Over  against  the  critics  of  the  past  appear  now 
some  of  the  choicest  spirits  of  this  century  with  words  of 
highest  commendation  on  the  worth  and  work  of  missions. 
Hear   Max    Muller   saying,   "  Whatever   is   known    of  the 
dialects  of  savage  nations  is  chiefly,  if  not  entirely,  due  to 
Christian  missions  "  ;  and  Prof.  Whitney,  the  distinguished 
orientalist,    "  There    would    hardly    be    occasion    for    the 
American    Oriental    Society    at    all    but    for    missionary 
labor";   and   Gladstone,  "Every   mission  station   is,  in  a 
sense,  a  scientific  observatory,  presenting  facts  which  are 
of    unspeakable    value    to    the    world";    and    Daniel    B. 
Sickels,  United  States    Consul  to  Siam,   "  In  my  opinion. 
Christian  missions  have  accomplished  more  for  American 


B [-CENTENNIAL    CELEBRATION.  291 

government  in  extending-  its  influence  in  the  East  than 
all  the  consuls  in  the  service  "  ;  and  Darwin,  "  The  success 
of  the  Terra  del  Fuego  mission  is  most  wonderful.  It 
shames  me  to  think  that  I  once  prophesied  respecting  it 
utter  failure.  It  is  a  grand  success  ";  and  our  own  beloved 
Gordon,  "  Look  at  India's  50,000  Telugus  taken  from  the 
heart  of  heathenism,  with  faces  to-day  shining  like  polished 
coins  from  the  mint  of  the  Holy  Spirit."  Surely  the  world 
has  changed  front,  during  the  century  just  dying,  on  the 
question  of  missions. 

And  in  the  Church  we  witness  to-day  a  missionary  enthu- 
siasm not  visible  since  the  days  of  the  Apostles  ;  men  and 
women  weighing  aright  the  far-reaching  words  of  the  majes- 
tic Christ, "  If  I  be  lifted  up  from  the  earth  I  will  draw  all  men 
to  me  "  ;  men  and  women  thrilled  deep  down  in  their  being 
with  the  parting  command  of  the  ascending  Saviour, "  Go  ye 
into  all  the  world  and  preach  the  Gospel  to  every  creature  "  ; 
men  and  women  realizing  what  Paul's  great  soul  felt  when, 
stirred  with  the  heaven-born  conviction  of  his  supreme 
obligation  to  the  brotherhood  of  the  race,  he  exclaimed, 
"  I  am  debtor  to  Greek  and  Barbarian,  to  bond  and  to 
free  "  ;  men  and  women  who  have  entered  at  least,  to 
some  degree,  into  the  emotions  of  Carey  when,  after 
making  his  rude  map  of  the  world,  he  pointed  it  out  to 
a  friend,  saying,  as  great,  hot  tears  rolled  down  his  cheeks, 
"  That  is  pagan,  that  is  pagan"  ;  men  and  women  believing 
with  all  their  hearts  that  God  means  His  persuasive  and 
powerful  Gospel  for  all  times  and  for  all  souls — in  the 
early  days  of  Christianity  for  "  idolatrous  Greek,  and 
luxurious  Corinthian  and  world-conquering  Roman,  for 
the  barbarian  of  Lystra  and  Malta  and  the  high  official  of 
/Ethiopia  and  the  magician  of  Ephesus  and  the  prison- 
keeper  in  Phillipi  and  the  purple-seller  of  Thyatira,"  and, 
in  these  last  days,  for  the  shivering  Greenlander  and  the 
glowing  West  Indian  and  the   Red   Man  of  America  and 


292  FIRST  fiAPTJST  CHURCH. 

the  Sandwich  Islander  and  the  servile  Karen  and  the 
fierce  Malay  and  sensual  Hindoo  and  the  prejudiced 
Mohammedan  and  the  ebon  child  of  Africa  and  the 
boasting  denizen  of  Japan  and  China,  this  glorious  Gospel 
of  the  ever-blessed  God  for  all  mankind,  irrespective  of 
heredity  and  environment,  of  race  and  religion,  of  culture 
and  civilization. 

And  under  the  inspiration  of  this  faith  what  achieve- 
ments on  the  foreign  field  stand  out  before  us  to-day : 
Ninety  languages  in  which  the  Bible  has  been  fully,  and  230 
partly,  translated  ;  280  missionary  organizations  at  work  ; 
13,000  missionaries  abroad;  60,000  native  preachers  and 
teachers;  7000  Bible  schools  in  foreign  lands  with  more 
than  1,000,000  scholars;  6,000,000  children  in  village 
schools  and  7,000,000  in  higher  schools.  How  glorious 
the  vision  !     Well  does  President  Seeley  exclaim  : 

■  "  Never  before  has  the  gospel  wrought  such  great  and 
speedy  change;  there  is  nothing  comparable  with  it  in  the 
history  of  the  world." 

The  isles  of  the  sea  have  61,000  converts  with  23,000 
professed  adherents.  Madagascar  and  the  Sandwich  Islands 
are  to-day  almost  evangelized.  Japan,  with  70,000  native 
Christians,  has  adopted  the  Christian  Sabbath  and  the 
Christian  calendar.  India  is  breaking  the  fetters  of  super- 
stition, 300,000  of  her  people  rejoicing  in  the  Christ.  Korea 
has  six  missionary  societies  operating  within  her  borders. 
China,  with  80,000  native  Christians,  will  slowly  but  surely 
yield  heart  and  life  to  the  only  true  God.  In  Africa 
missionary  feet  press  the  paths  once  trod  by  Livingstone, 
as  1000  stations  give  promise  that  even  Ethiopia  is  about 
to  stretch  forth  her  hand  to  God.  Brethren  of  this  church, 
whose  honorary  pastor  is  the  son  of  the  saintly  and  sainted 
Judson,  and  within  whose  walls  was  organized  our  noble 
Missionary  Union,  rejoice  with  a  joy  unspeakable  and  full 


B [-CENTENNIAL    CELEBRATION.  293 

of  glory  as  you   hear  the  words  of  Dr.  Dennis  in  his  fine 
work,  "  Foreign  Missions  After  a  Century  ": 

"  One  hundred  years  ago,  and  so  far  as  any  general 
recognition  of  the  need  was  conceived  or  any  apparent 
consciousness  of  the  call  there  was  a  silence  like  that  of 
the  grave  resting  as  a  pall  over  all  the  heathen  world — a 
silence  which  though  eloquent  as  death,  utterly  failed  to 
touch  the  sympathy  or  move  the  conscience  of  Christians. 
To-day  the  whole  world  is  ringing  with  voices  like  the 
sound  of  many  waters,  calling  the  Church  to  an  aggressive 
camjjaign  of  world-wide  activity  and  eventually  of  univer- 
sal conquest  and  peaceful  occupation." 

Blessed  be  God,  the  Christ-ordained  work  of  world-wide 
evangelization  is  no  failure.  It  is  no  failure  in  the  eyes  of 
the  Almighty,  not  one  of  Whose  elect  has  ever  been  lost  or 
who  will  ever  be  unsaved  ;  Who,  not  limited  by  time,  sees 
His  purpose  accomplished  as  soon  as  conceived;  Who, know- 
ing the  need  from  the  beginning,  has  authorized  the  declara- 
tion "  The  Kingdoms  of  this  world  are  become  the  Kingdom 
of  the  Lord  and  Him  Christ."  The  world's  evangelization 
is  no  failure,  because  the  world  was  created  for  this  very 
purpose,  as  the  wonderful  words  of  Paul  reveal  when  he 
declares  that  he  must  "  preach  among  the  Gentiles  the 
unsearchable  riches  of  Christ  and  make  all  men  see  what 
is  the  fellowship  of  the  mystery  which,  from  the  beginning 
of  the  world  hath  been  hid  in  God,  who  created  all  things  by 
Jesus  Christ,  to  the  intent  that  now  unto  principalities  and 
powers  and  in  heavenly  places  might  be  made  known  by 
the  Church  the  manifold  wisdom  of  God,  according  to  the 
eternal  purpose  which  He  purposed  in  Christ  Jesus  our 
Lord  "  ;  no  failure,  because  divine  provision  has  been  or- 
dained for  its  accomplishment ;  no  failure,  because  that  is 
the  eternally  decreed  test  as  to  whether  this  planet  shall 
be  ruled  by  the  lord  of  death  and  discord  or  by  the  Lord 
of  life  and  peace  ;  no  failure,  because  He  who  predicts  and 


294  FIRST  BAPTIST  CHURCH. 

promises  it  can  not  and  will  not  deny  Himself;  no  failure, 
because  without  it  the  universe  can  not  be  restored  to  har- 
mony, the  reign  of  God  will  never  be  triumphant,  the  medi- 
ational  glory  of  Jesus  will  never  be  realized,  the  Cross  of 
Christ  is  proved  a  figment,  the  gospel  a  fiction  and  truth  a 
myth.  O  men  and  women,  if  this  great,  glorious  mis- 
sionary work  of  human  redemption  be  a  failure,  then  there 
is  nothing  left  for  man  but  black  despair,  as  the  consumma- 
tion and  concentration  of  all  wisdom,  "the  universal 
whole,"  rushes  back  to  original  chaos  and  under  the  ruins 
are  buried  eternally  all  spirit  and  God  Himself! 

But  why  take  any  dark  view  or  indulge  in  any  sad 
speculation  as  we  enter  into  the  glory  of  the  twentieth 
century  of  our  glad  Christian  era?  The  golden  age  of 
our  divine  religion  is  not  in  the  yesterday  of  the  past 
nor  in  the  to-day  of  the  present,  but  in  the  to-morrow  of 
the  future;  and  if  we  but  look  this  hour  with  the  eye  of 
faith  we  shall  behold  all  things  in  connection  with  the 
blessed  cause  of  missions — the  Word  of  God,  the  history 
of  the  past,  the  conditions  of  the  present,  the  prospects 
of  the  future — hastening  on  to  that  "  one  far-off,  divine 
event  to  which  the  whole  creation  moves,"  the  conquest  of 
the  world  by  the  King  of  Glory  and  the  Prince  of  Peace. 

"  For  lo  !  the  days  are  speeding  on. 

By  prophet  bards  foretold, 
When,  with  the  ever-roUing  years, 

Comes  back  the  age  of  gold  ; 
When  peace  shall  over  all  the  earth 

Her  final  splendors  fling 
And  all  the  world  send  back  the  song 

Which  now  the  angels  sing." 


PROGRAM 


BI-CENTENNIAL  ANNIVERSARY 


First  Baptist  Church 


CITY   OF   PHILADELPHIA, 


NORTHWEST  CORNER  OF  BROAD  AND  SPRUCE  STS. 


COMMITTEE    OF   ARRANGEMENTS  FOR 
THE   Bl-CENTENARY 

(Appointed  by  the  Church,  October,  i8q6) 


William  A.  Levering,  C/ia 


Mrs.  Elizabeth  A.   Erockway 
Mrs.  Emma  W.  Bucknell 
Mrs.  Samuel  J.  Clevenger 
Miss  Helen  M.  Dean 
Mrs.  Benjamin  Githens 
Miss  Dora  Keen 
Miss  Anna  Maddock 


Mrs." John   H.  Michenek 
Miss  Lydia  M.  Morgan 
Mrs.  John  H.  Scott 
Mrs.  T.  Seymour  Scott 
Mrs.  John  T.  Stauffer 
Mrs.  Carter  S.  Thompson 
Mrs.  P'rancis  W.  Tustin 


W.  Clifton  Geyer 
Benjamin  Githens 
James  F.  Hagen 
William  S.  Haines 
David  A.  Hunter 
Henry  E.  Lincoln 


Mrs.  William  M.  Wilson 

li.  Ogden  Loxley 
L  Harrison  O'Harra 
John  H.  Scott 
Augustus  Thomas 
Ernest  L.  Tustin 
William  M.  Wilson 
Rev.   H.   L.  Wayland,  D.D. 


Howard  B.  Martin,  M.D.,  Secretary 


CHURCH  HISTORIAN, 

William    W.    Keen,    M.  D.,    LL.  D. 


297 


MUSIC 

Organist  and  Choinnastc)-,  Mr.  John  K.  Wihtklky 
Soprano,  Mrs.  Corinnk.Weist  Anthony 
Contralto,  Miss  Isabel  R.  Avres 
Tenor,  Mr.  Isaac  Kershaw 
Bass,  Mr.  James  G.  Ale.xander 

ORCHESTRA   (Selected) 

Hymn  Book  used  in  these  services,  The  New  Laudes  Domini 


BIBLE  SCHOOL  MUSIC 

Main  School, 

Leader,  Mr.  Frederick  W.  Hutchinson 

Conductor  of  Aniphion  Orchestra,  George  H.  Thacher,  M.D. 

I/in/iaiuic'l  A/ission, 
Leader,  Mk.  Thomas  Langan 


COMMITTEE  ON  BIBLE  SCHOOL  EXERCISES 

(Appointed  by  the  School,  October,  i8q8) 

John   H.  Scott,  Chainuan 
Miss  Agnes  Gendei.i,  David  A.  Hunter 

Mrs.  Carter  S.  Thompson  George  H.  Thacher,  M.D. 


Cl/airivo/nan  Entcitainnient  Committee, 
Miss  Mary  O'Harra 


298 


PROGRAM   OF    EXERCISES 

December  6-11,    1898 


TUESDAY  EVENING,   DECEMBER  6, 

FROM    8  TO  10    O'CLOCK, 

RECEPTION  AT  GRIFFITH  HALL,  1420  Chestnut  Street 


WEDNESDAY  AFTERNOON,   DECEMBER  7, 

AT  3  O'CLOCK, 

WOMEN'S   MEETING,  AT   THE   CHURCH,  N.  W.  Corner  of 
Broad  and  Spruce  Sts., 

MRS.   KERR  BOYCE  TUPPER,  Presiding 

HYMN.  —  "/;/  the  Cross  of  Christ  I  Glory.'' 

HYMN. — '■'The  Church's  One  Foundation.'" 

PRAYER : 

Mrs.   Harriet   Newell   Jones,  Secretary  ^Yomen's  ISaptist    Foreign 
Mission  Society  of  Pennsylvania. 

ADDRESS: 

"  The  Dorcas  Society  of  tlie  First  Piaptist  Church."     Mrs.  T.  Seymour 
Scott. 

REMINISCENCES  OF  THE  DORCAS  SOCIETY: 

Mrs.  Elizabeth   A.  Brockway,    Mrs.    Emma  W.  Hansell,  Miss 
Sarah  C.   Dewey,  Mrs.  Caroline  K.  Inglis. 

'' The  Lord  is  9/iy  Shepherd," Schubert. 

Double  Quartet. 
299 


300  FIRST  BAPTIST  CHURCH. 

ADDRESS: 

"Woman's  Work  in  Foreign  Missions."  Mrs.  H.  G.  S.^fford,  of 
Boston,  Foreign  Corresponding  Secretary  of  tlie  Women's  Baptist  Foreign 
INIissionary  Society. 

REMINISCENCES     OF     THE     WOMEN'S      FOREIGN    MISSION 
SOCIETY: 
Mrs.  Francis  W.  Tustin,  Mrs.  Joseph  F.  Pa<;f. 

SOLO,  Selected. 

Mrs.  Corinne  Weist  Anthony. 

ADDRESS: 

"  Woman's  Work  in  Home  Missions."  Miss  Mary  CI.  Burdette,  of 
Chicago,  Corresponding  Secretary  of  the  Women's  Baptist  Home  Mission 
Society. 

REMINISCENCES  OF  THE  WOMEN'S  HOME  MISSION  SOCIETY  : 
Mrs.  Washington  Butcher,  Miss  M.  Virginia  Ashton. 

DOXOLOGY.— "  Praise  God  from   ]Vhoin  all  blessings  flow:' 


WEDNESDAY   EVENING,  DECEMBER  7, 

AT    7.45  O'CLOCK, 

MEETING   AT   CHURCH,  N.  W.  Corner  Broad  and  Spruce  Sts. 

GEORGE  DANA  BOARDMAN,  D.D.,  LL.D..  Honorary  Pastor,  Presiding. 

ANTHEM.— "  71' Z?r7<w"  in  B  minor, Buck. 

INVOCATION: 

Frederic  Foye  Briggs,  Pastor  of  the  Second  Baptist  Church,  Wilming- 
ton, Del.;  formerly  Pastor  of  the  Beth  Eden  Baptist  Church,  1S94-95, 
and  of  the  First  Baptist  Church,  after  consolidation,  1895-96. 

RESPONSIVE  SCRIPTURE  READING: 

Leader,  Joseph  Evans  Sagerbeer,  Ph.D.,  Pastor  of  the  Second  Bap- 
tist Church,  Germantown,  Phila.,  formerly  Pastor's  Assistant  of  the  First 
Baptist  Church  and  Pastor  of  the  Immanuel  Mission,  1885-90. 

HYMN.—"  Come,  Thou  Almighty  Kingy 


BI-CENTENNIAL    CELEBRATION.  301 

PRAYER: 

J.  T.  Beckley,  D.D.,  of  Newbuiyport,  Mass.  ;   formerly   Pastor  of  the 
Beth  Eden  Baptist  Church,  1883-94. 

SOPRANO  SOLO.—"  The  Lord  is  my  Light r 
Mrs.  Corinne  Weist  Anthony. 

SALUTATIONS  : 

Ins/i/n/ional,  represented  by  some  of  the  Philanthkopic  and  Educa- 
tional enterprises  witli  which  our  liistory  has  been  identified  : 

Baptist  Orphanage,  established  through  the  agency  of  our  late 
member,  Miss  Mary  Weatherly. 

Philadelphia  Home  for  Incurables,  due  mainly  to  the  efforts 
of  our  member,  Mrs.  Caroline  K.  1n(;i.is. 

Women's  National  Indian  Association,  of  which  our  former 
member,  Miss  Mary  L.  Bonney,  and  our  member,  Mrs. 
Amelia  .S.  Quinton,  now  its  President,  were  the  originators. 

Baptist  Home,  to  a  large  extent  fostered  by  our  church. 

Brown  University,  Providence,  R.  I.,  founded  as  Rhode  Island 
College,  by  our  former  pastor,  Morgan  Edwards,  A.M.,  and 
of  which  his  successor,  William  Rogers,  D.D.,  was  one  of  the 
fust  graduating  class,  in  1769. 

Columbian  University,  Washington,  D.C.,  established  largely 
through  the  efforts  of  William  Staughton,  D.  D.,  while  pastor 
of  this  church,  and  of  which  he  was  its  first  President. 

Bucknell  University,  Lewisburg,  Pa.,  which,  from  the  day  of  its 
beginning,  has  had  a  vital  connection,  in  many  ways,  with  our 
church. 

Uni\'ersity  of  Pennsylvania,  wliich  conferred  academic  degrees 
on  our  former  pastors,  Ehenezer  Kinnersley,  William 
Rogers,  D.D.,  and  our  honorary  pastor,  CJeorge  Dana 
Boardman,  D.D.,  LL.D.,  and  with  which  they  have  been 
officially  connected. 

HYMN.—"  Children  of  the  Heavenly  Kingr 

GREETINGS: 

Ancestral —\.o\\'v.\<.  Dublin  Baptist  Church,  Bustleton,  Pa.,  organized 
as  the  Pennepek  Church,  1688;  Thomas  P.  IIolloway, 
Pastor. 

"  Greeting  from  the  Mother  Church." 


302  FIRST  BAPTIST  CHURCH. 

Denoiiiiuatioual,  represented  by  some  of  the  oldest  Baptist  Cluirches  in 

America  : 
Providknce,  R.  I.,  organized  about  1639  ;  Henry  M.  Kino,  D.D., 

Pastor. 
Newport,  R.  I.,  organized  about  1644;  Brewer  G.  Boardman, 

Pastor. 
Boston,  Mass.,  organized  1665;  Nathan  E.Wood,  D.D.,  Pasior. 
Charleston,  S.  C,  organized  1683;  Lucujs  Cutheert,  Pastor, 

brother  of  our  late  pastor. 
MlDDLETOWN,  N.  J.,  organized  1688;  Wm.  II.  J.  Parker,  Pastor. 
Piscataway,  N.  J.,  organized  1689;  Wm.  T.   Dorwaru,  Pastor. 
Fifth  Avenue  Baptist  Church,  New  York;  W.  H.  P.  Faunce, 

D.D.,  Pastor. 
Calvary  Baptist  Church,  New  York;  Rop.ert  S.  MacArthur, 

D.D.,  Pastor. 

HYMN.— "i^;w/  All  that  Divell  Below  the  Skies:' 

ADDRESS: 

"Our  Indebtedness  to  the  Fathers."  (Seep.  213.)  Henry  M.  Kinc. 
D.D.,  Pastor  First  Baptist  Church,  Providence,  R.  I.,  the  oldest  liaptist 
Church  in  America;  organized  1639. 

BENEDICTION : 

Kerr   Boyce  Tupper,  D.D.,  LL.D.,  Pastor. 


THURSDAY  EVENING,   DECEMBER  8, 

AT   7.45  O'CLOCK, 

MEETING  AT  CHURCH,  N.  W.  Cor.  Broad  and  Spruce  Sts. 

KERR  BOYCE  TUPPER,  D.D.,  LL.D.,  Pastor,   Presiding. 
ANTHEM.— "/  /r///J//^V'/'yri'," Moseiilhal. 

INVOCATION: 

J.    Wesley    Sullivan,    Moderator    Philadelphia    Baptist    Association, 
organized  in  the  First  Baptist  Church  in  1707. 

RESPONSIVE  SCRIPTURE  READINC;  (Psalm  cxxi)  : 

Leader,    Raymond  M.  West,  Pastor  I.ehigh  Avenue  Baptist  Church  ; 
formerly  Pastor  of  the  Immanuel  Mission,  1S91-92. 


BI-CENTEXNIAL    CELEBRATION.  303 

HYMN.—"  Great  God,  lunv  lufinilc  Art  Thou:' 

PRAYER: 

Thomas  A.  Lloyd,  Pastor  of  the  Immanuel  Mission.    (Organized  1868.) 

kti'Y'AYM.—'Xxw,'' Thou  Shalt  Love  the  Lord  thy  God;' Costa. 

GREETINGS— (continued)  : 

Interdenoniiiiatioual,  represented  by  some   of   the  oldest  churches,   not 
Baptist,  in  the  city  : 

First  Presbyterian  Church,  which  shared  with  us  the  building 
in  which  we  first  met;   George  D.  Baker,  D.D.,  Pastor. 

Christ  Protestant  Episcopal  Church,  whose  house  of  worship 
on  Second  Street  almost  immediately  adjoined  ours ;  C.  Ellis 
Stevens,  LL.D.,  D.C.L.,  Rector. 

Gloria  Dei  (Old  Swedes')  Protestant  Episcopal  Church,  whose 
edifice,  erected  1700,  is  the  oldest  in  the  city  ;  Rey.  Snyder 
B.   Simes,  Rector. 

Society  of  Friends,  the  oldest  denomination  in  the  city;  by  the 
generosity  of  the  Keithian  Quakers  we  came  into  possession  of 
a  portion  of  the  site  on  Second  Street  (Lagrange  Place),  where 
we  worshiped  for  so  many  years. 

Bishop  C.  D.  Foss,  Methodist  Episcopal  Church. 

Rev.  J.  R.  Miller,  Presbyterian  Publication  House. 

HYMN.—"  I  Love  Thy  Kingdom,  Lord:' 

Eilial,  represented  by  some  of  tlie  churches  which  have  emerged  from  us  : 

RoxBOROUGH  Baptist  Church;  James  W.  Wilmarth,  D.D., 
LL.D.,  Pastor. 

(Organized  by  our  memheis,  17S9.) 
"  The  Child  of  a  Century." 

First  African  Baptist  Church  ;  William  A.  Creditt,  Pastor. 
(Organized  by  our  members,  1810.) 
"  Our  Origin  and  Our  Improvement." 

P'iRST  Baptlst  Church,  Camden;  John  W.  Lyell,  Pastor. 

(Organized  by  our  members  in  i8i8.) 
South  Broad  Street  Baptist  Church  ;  Benj.  L.  Herr,  Pastor. 
(Organized  as  the  Boardman  Mission,  1865.) 
"Our  Debt  and  IIow  we  Hope  to  Pay  It."' 


304  FIRST  BAPTIST  CHURCH. 

Baltimore  Ave.  I]apti.st  Church;  Joseph  A.  Bennett,  Pastor. 
(Organized  by  our  late  member,  H.  L.  Wavland,  D.D.,  1881.) 
"  Backward  and  Forward." 

Church  of  the  Evangel;  Harold  Kennedy,  Pastor. 

(Organized  as  "  The  Narberth  Mission,"  1891.) 
"The  Evangel's  Message  to  the  Church  in  Philadelphia." 

H.  F.  Stillwell,  Pastor  First  Baptist  Church,  St.  Paul,  Min- 
nesota, and  formerly  Pastor's  Assistant  of  our  church. 

HYMN.— "/«/«  Shall  Kcign  Where'er  the  Sun.'" 

ADDRESS: 

"  American  Christianity  in  its  World  Relations."  (See  p.  231.)  Henry 
C.  Mabie,  D.D.,  of  Boston,  Home  Secretary  American  Baptist  Mission- 
ary Union,  which  originated  in  our  Church,  in  1814,  as  the  "  Triennial 
Convention,"  and  of  which  our  former  pastors,  William  Staughton,  D.  D., 
and  his  successors,  Henry  Holcombe,  D  D.,  and  George  Dana  Boardman, 
DT^.,  LL.D.,  have  been  ofificers. 

BENEDICTION: 

Charles  A.  Soars,  Pastor  Nicetown  Baptist  Church,  Philadelphia ; 
formerly  Pastor  of  the  Tmnianuel  Mission,  1890-91. 


FRIDAY   EVENING,  DECEMBER  9, 

AT   7.45    O'CLOCK, 

BIBLE  SCHOOL  EXERCISES:  Music  Selections,  Amphion 
Orchestra. 
INVOCATION: 

George  Dana  Boardman,  D.D.  ,  LL.D.,  Honorary  Pastor. 

HYMN.—"  Onward,  Chrhtian  Soldiers." 

PRIMARY  DEPARTMENT: 

HYMN.—"  Christ,  the  Loving  Gardener." 

ADDRESS: 

Mrs.  Martha  G.  Kennedy. 
RECITATION    OF    SCRIPTUf^E.- Psalm   xxiii,   the    Ten  Com- 
mandments, and  the  Beatitudes. 

HISTORY  OF  BIBLE  SCHOOL: 

John  H.  Sc(_)TT,  Esq.     (Seep.  369.) 


BI-CENTEiYNIAL    CELEBRATION.  305 

HVMN.— "  Marchhig  On.'' 

SCHOOL  OF  THE  IMMANUEL  MISSION: 
ADDRESS: 

Mr.  Winfield  S.  Elliott,  Superintendent. 
HYMN.—"  King  of  Glory.'' 

CHINESE  DEPARTMENT: 
ADDRESS: 

Mr.  James  H.  Bryant,  Associate  Superintendent. 
SONG  (Trio)  : 

Lee  Num,  Yung  Back,  and  Long  Noon. 
DIALOGUE: 

Toy  Chee  and  H.  Lee  Yui>. 

HYMN.  —  "  Goii  B/ess  our  Sabbath  School." 

ADDRESS: 

ERNE.ST  L.  TUSTIN,  Es(^).,  Superintendent.      [Mr.  Tustin  was  unavoida- 
bly absent  in  tlie  far  West.] 

HYMN.  — "  Living  for  Jesus. " 

BENEDICTION: 

Kerr  Boyce  Tupper,  D.D.,  LL.D.,  Pastor. 


SATURDAY  EVENING,   DECEMBER  10, 

AT    7.45  O'CLOCK, 

MEETING  AT  ASSOCIATION   HALL,  S.  E.  Cor. 
Fifteenth  and  Chestnut  Sts. 

GEORGE  DANA  BOARDMAN,  D.D.,  LL.D.,  Honorary  Pastor,  Presiding. 

PRELUDE.— Orchestra. 

INVOCATION  : 

Prof.  Henry  C.  Vedder,  D.D.,  of  Crozer  Tlieological  Seminary,  His- 
torian; autlior  of  "Short  History  of  the  Baptists,"  "  History  of  the  Bap- 
tists in  the  Aliddle  States,"  etc. 

RESPONSIVE  SCRIPTURE  READING: 

Leader,  William  Cathcart,  D.D.,  of  Hoyt,  Pa.,  Historian  ;  editor  of 
the  "  Baptist  Encyclopedia." 
20 


3o6  FIRST  BAPTIST  CHURCH. 

PRAYER : 

William  Cathcart,  D.D. 

HYMN.— 'M//  Hailtlw  Power  of  Jesus'  Name:'' 

ADDRESS: 

"The  History  of  the  First  Baptist  Church  of  the  City  of  Philadelphia." 
(See  page  13.)     W.  W.  Kken,  M.D.,  LL.D. 

HYMN.—"  My  Couu/ry,  'tis  of  Thee:' 

BENEDICTION  : 

Prof.  Henry  C.  Vkddf.r,  D.D. 


SUNDAY  MORNING,  DECEMBER  11, 

AT    10.30  O'CLOCK, 

SERVICE  AT  ASSOCIATION  HALL,  S.  E.  Cor. 
Fifteenth  and  Chestnut  Sts. 

KERR  BOYCE  TUPPER,  D.D.,  LL.D.,  Pastor,  Presiding. 
K^TWEU.—'' Praise  the  Lord,  O  Jenisaleiii,'' MaiDider. 

INVOCATION  : 

Rev.  B.  MacMackin,  General  Secretary  Philadelphia  Baptist  City  Mis- 
sion. 

HYMN.— "^rf/i-Zr  Through  Another  Week:' 

RESPONSIVE  SCRIPTURE  READING: 

Leader,  A.   T-   Rowland,  D.D.,  General    Secretary  American  Baptist 
Publication  Society. 

BI-CENTENNIAL  HYMN: 

Composed  for  this  occasion  by  our  late  member,  Thomas  Rosling  Ho\v- 
LETT,  D.D.,  Pastor  of  the  Immanuel  Mission,  1884-85. 

PRAYER  OF  GRATITUDE  FOR  THE  PAST: 

Henry  G.  Weston,  D.D.,  LL.D.,  President  Crozer  Theological  Semi- 
nary. 

OFFERTORY. 

QUARTET.— "^/rti'7;//?(v;/," Millard. 


BI-CENTENNIAL    CELEBRATION.  307 

SERMON  : 

"The  Church  of  the  Past."     George  Dana  Boardman,  D.D.,  LL  I)., 
Honorary  Pastor.      (See  p.  251.) 

HYMN.— "(?«;-  God,  our  Help  in  Ai;es  Past:' 

BENEDICTION : 

W.    H.    CONARD,    D.D.,   Corresponding  Secretary  Pennsylvania  Baptist 
State  Mission  Society. 


SUNDAY  EVENING,  DECEMBER  11, 

AT   7.45    O'CLOCK, 

SERVICE   AT   ASSOCIATION    HALL,  S.  E.  Cor. 
Fifteenth  and  Chestnut  Streets. 

GEORGE  DANA  BOARDMAN,  D.D.,  LL.D.,  Honorary  Pastor.  Presiding. 

K^TWYM^—^'JiibHate  Deo;' Buck. 

INVOCATION: 

George  M.  Spratt,  D.D.,  Corresponding  Secretary  Pennsylvania  Bap- 
tist Ministerial  Education  Society,  organized  in  our  Church,  1839. 

HYMN.—"  O  Worship  the  King.'' 

1>LESP0NSIVE  SCRIPTURE  READING: 

Leader,  Rev.  Frank  S.  Dobbin's,  District   Secretary  American   Baptist 
Missionary  Union. 

HYMN.—"  O  CiViId  I  Speak  the  Matchless  Jl'orth." 

PRAYER  FOR  GUIDANCE  IN  THE  FUTURE: 

Lemuel    Moss,    D.D.,    President  of   the   American    Baptist    Historical 
Society. 

OFFERTORY. 

ANTHEM,  "Gloria  in  E.xcelsis," IVilsou. 

SERMON : 

"The  Church  of  the  Future."      (Seep.  271.)     Kerr  Boyce  Tupper, 
D.D.,  LL.D.,  Pastor. 

HYMN.  —  '■'■How  Firm  a  Foundation." 

BENEDICTION: 

E.  B.  Palmer,  D.D.,  District  .Secretary  .American  Baptist  HomeMission 
Society. 


TUESDAY  EVENING,  DECEMBER  6, 

FROM  8  TO  10  O'CLOCK. 


RECEPTION. 


RECEPTION, 


A  large  number  of  invited  guests,  both  of  the  Baptist  and 
other  churches,  with  most  of  our  members,  were  present. 
The  evening  was  spent  in  happy  greetings  natural  to  the 
occasion,  and  many  interdenominational  courtesies  were 
extended.  Light  refreshments  were  served  by  an  efficient 
committee  of  ladies  during  the  evening. 

On  the  platform  were  exhibited  many  interesting  relics  ; 
such  as  the  oldest  deed  in  our  possession,  dating  from 
1694;  the  first  Minute  Book  and  Marriage  Book  of  the 
church,  portraits  of  pastors,  drawings  of  the  Baptisterion, 
the  Barbadoes  storehouse,  Anthony  Morris'  brew-house,  the 
church  of  1808,  the  Communion  plate,  Morgan  Edwards' 
"  Materials,  etc.,"  his  cane,  green  spectacles,  watch-key, 
seal  ring,  coat-of-arms,  a  lock  of  his  hair,  Sunday-school 
tickets,  etc.,  in  which  the  members  of  the  church  and  guests 
showed  a  great  interest. 

This  social  gathering  inaugurated  most  auspiciously  the 
bi-centennial  celebration,  and  was  one  of  the  pleasantest 
features  of  the  week. 


WEDNESDAY  AFTERNOON,  DECEMBER  7. 


WOMEN'S  MEETING. 


ADDRESS— Till:  "  DORCAS  SOCIETY 

MRS.  T.  SEYMOUR  SCOTT. 


The  following  story  is  told  of  Franklin,  who  was  a  per- 
sonal friend  of  one  of  our  earliest  pastors: 

He  was  dining  one  day  with  some  distinguished  gentle- 
men, when  one  said,  "  Here  are  three  nationalities  :  I  am 
French,  my  friend  is  English,  and  Mr.  Franklin  is  an 
American ;  let  each  one  propose  a  toast."  They  agreed. 
The  Englishman  rose  first,  and  with  the  bold  air  of  a 
Briton  said  :  "  Here's  to  Great  Britain,  the  sun  that  gives 
light  to  all  the  nations  of  the  earth."  The  Frenchman 
then  mildly  proposed  :  "  Here's  to  France,  the  moon  whose 
magic  rays  move  the  tides  of  the  world."  Franklin  then 
rose  and  modestly  said:  "  Here's  to  George  Washington, 
the  Joshua  who  commanded  the  sun  and  moon  to  stand 
still,  and  they  obeyed." 

So  would  I  say  to-day  :  "  Here's  to  old  Dorcas," — al- 
though this  church  may  be  the  sun,  in  whose  "  dim  relig- 
ious light,"  shining  down  through  two  hundred  years,  we 
are  now  basking,  and  the  Sunday-school,  the  moon,  through 
whose  influence  the  tide  of  youthful  energy  is  ever  flowing 
churchward  ;  yet  somehow  Dorcas  seems  the  center  of  it 
all,  and  without  her  ceaseless  activity  our  church  life 
would  be  somewhat  at  a  standstill.  Yes !  the  Dorcas 
Society  is  the  center  around  which  entwines  the  home 
life  of  the  church.  The  very  name,  an  old  Scriptural  one, 
suggests  good  motherly  hearts  and  unselfish  lives,  not  self- 
centered,  not  absorbed  in  their  own  surroundings,  giving 
out  sympathy  and  help  for  human  woe.     At  the  mention 

315 


3i6  FIRST  BAPTIST  CHURCH. 

of  it  there  comes  to  the  mind  the  picture  of  that  upper 
chamber  where,  in  the  presence  of  their  beloved  dead,  her 
co-workers  held  up  to  the  Apostles'  gaze  the  garments 
fashioned  by  those  fingers,  now^  cold  in  death,  unmistak- 
able evidences  of  her  "  good  works  and  alms  deeds." 
Would  that  we  could  here  bring  before  you  the  garments 
made  and  distributed  by  our  Dorcas  ;  they  would  fill  these 
arches  and  crannies.  But,  alas  !  very  many  of  them  have 
gone  the  way  of  all  things  earthly,  yet  leaving  behind 
bright  memories  of  love  and  kindness  written  on  the  hearts 
and  in  the  lives  of  hundreds  of  God's  needy  children. 

I  have  time  to  mention  only,  among  many  others,  three 
reasons  why  this  part  of  our  women's  work  has  a  claim 
on  our  attention  at  this  bi-centenary  of  our  church  :  first, 
its  age:  secondly,  the  number  of  saintly  women  connected 
with  its  history;  thirdly,  what  has  been  accomplished 
through  its  instrumentality. 

First,  its  age — fifty-eight  years  old  ;  you  say  that  is  not 
two  hundred  years.  No;  you  must  remember  that  1698  is 
a  long  while  ago  :  before  the  Declaration  of  Independence  ; 
before  the  children  of  our  forefathers  and  foremothers  had 
time  to  be  domesticated  in  this  huge  land  of  ours  ;  long,  long 
before  this  country  had  become  the  dumping-ground  for 
the  refuse  of  Europe,  bringing  so  much  suffering  and  pov- 
erty to  be  alleviated.  Why,  one  hundred  years  ago  there 
was  no  public  library  in  the  United  States  !  two  stage- 
coaches bore  all  the  travel  between  New  York  and  Boston  ; 
the  man  who  criticized  the  preacher  or  his  sermon  was 
fined  ;  the  church  collection  was  taken  in  a  bag  fastened 
on  the  end  of  a  pole,  with  a  bell  attached  to  arouse  sleepy 
contributors.  There  was  no  need  of  a  Dorcas  then  ;  but 
fifty-eight  years  ago,  when  the  need  began  to  be  felt, — 

"September  10,  1839,  we  find  a  group  of  earnest  women 
gathered  at  the  hospitable  home  of  Deacon  William  S. 
Hansell,  met  at  the  suggestion  of  the  pastor,  Rev.  George 


BI-  CEN  7  'ENNIA  L    CEL  EB  RA  7  'ION.  3 1 7 

Barton  Ide,  to  organize  a  society,  the  object  of  which  was 
to  assist  pious  young  men  in  the  preparation  for  the  gospel 
ministry,  by  furnishing  them  with  clothing,  &c.,and  also  to 
promote  social  and  religious  intercourse  among  the  mem- 
bers of  the  church  and  congregation." 

It  was  then  called  "The  Evangelical  Sewing  Society  of 
the  First  Baptist  Church  of  Philadelphia."  It  is  the  oldest 
of  the  three  women's  societies  existing  at  present  in  our 
church.  There  was  a  "Female  Missionary  Society" 
organized  as  early  as  1810;  how  long  it  existed  we  have 
been  unable  to  ascertain,  but  previous  to  the  organization 
of  the  "  Women's  Foreign  Missionary  Society  "  of  our 
Church  in  1873,  the  women's  work  in  both  home  and 
foreign  missions  was  carried  on  through  the  Dorcas 
Society.  For  the  first  three  years  the  society  met  monthly 
at  the  homes  of  its  members  ;  the  meetings  were  largely 
attended,  sixty-six  (66)  being  recorded  present  on  one 
occasion.  In  1842  the  name  was  changed  to  the  "  Sewing 
Society  of  the  First  Baptist  Church,"  and  the  meetings 
were  held  weekly  in  the  lecture  room  of  the  church.  In  1846 
we  received  a  visit  from  Dr.  Judson,  who  gave  a  thrilling 
account  of  torture  and  sufferings  at  Ava.  In  April,  1856, 
we  met  for  the  last  time  in  Lagrange  Place  ;  in  October  of 
the  same  year  we  met  for  the  first  time  at  Broad  and  Arch. 
In  1857  the  name  was  changed  to  the  "Ladies'  Dorcas 
Society  of  the  First  Baptist  Church,"  the  name  which  it 
still  retains.  In  1858  we  received  a  visit  from  Mrs.  Ingalls, 
of  the  Burman  Mission.  In  1890  we  celebrated  our  fiftieth 
anniversary.  In  1 894  we  lost  our  friend  and  pastor.  Dr. 
George  Dana  Boardman.  In  1895  our  numbers  were 
largely  increased  by  workers  from  the  Tabernacle  and  Beth 
Eden  churches.  In  1896  Dr.  Tupper  came,  an  event  in  our 
history,  he  and  Mrs.  Tupper  taking  an  energetic  interest  in 
our  women's  work.  In  1897  union  of  women's  work  was 
effected,  under   the   leadership   of  Mrs.  Tupper,  the   three 


3i8  I'lRSr  BAPTIST  CHURCH. 

women's  societies  of  our  church  uniting  to  form  "  The 
Women's  AuxiHary,"  the  Dorcas  Society  retaining  its 
distinct  name,  organization,  and  object. 

This  is  simply  a  swift  bird's-eye  view  of  our  fifty-eight 
(58)  years.  I  have  written  to  several  of  the  older  churches 
of  our  denomination  and  have  found  no  society  of  the  kind 
contemporary  with  ours.  "The  Woman's  Home  Mission- 
ary Society  "  of  the  First  Baptist  Church  of  Providence  (the 
oldest  Baptist  church  in  the  country)  was  organized  in  1 894. 
So,  though  our  Dorcas  is  not  an  antique,  to  be  laid  on  the 
shelf,  she  is  mature,  in  the  prime  of  life,  ready  for  active 
service.  We  are  justly  proud  of  her  age,  and  grateful  that 
she  has  for  so  many  years  quietly  and  unobtrusively  pursued 
the  even  tenor  of  her  way,  increasing  year  by  year  in 
strength  and  influence,  in  the  amount  expended,  and  gar- 
ments distributed. 

Cheering  heavy-hearted  ones,  weighed  down  with  earthly  care  and 

need, 
Lifting  silent,  secret  burdens,  pointing  to  the  heavenly  meed  ; 
Helping  worn   and  weary  footsteps  along  the  straight   and  narrow 

way, 
Better  fifty  years  of  Dorcas  than  a  cycle  of  display. 

The  second  reason  for  a  claim  upon  your  attention  on  this 
occasion  is  the  long  line  of  saintly  women  who  have  made 
this  Society  such  a  power  in  the  church  and  the  world. 
Miss  Anne  Semple,  the  first  secretary,  is  the  only  constit- 
uent member  who  still  survives  to  connect  us  with  the 
past,  Mrs.  Ann  Rhees  was  the  first  president  for  eight 
years,  and  succeeding  her  were  Mrs.  M.  S.  Jackson,  Mrs. 
Thomas  Wattson,  Mrs.  H.  Easby,  Mrs.  A.  S.  Larcombe, 
beloved  leader  for  twelve  (12)  years,  then  Miss  Mary 
Weatherly,  and  Mrs.  S.  F.  Hansell,  and  now  down  to  our 
own  time,  Mrs.  E.  A.  Brockway,  who  has  served  as  directress 
for  sixteen  (16)  years  with  unswerving  fidelity  and  devotion. 
Then  there  was   Mrs.  Susan   Keyser,  secretary  for  thirty- 


BI-  CENTENNIA  L    CEL  EBRA  TION.  3 1 9 

two  (32)  years  ;  Miss  Mary  Hallman,  treasurer  for  eighteen 
(18)  years;  Mrs.  Jane  Seddinger,  ever  stimulating  the 
interest  in  foreign  missions;  Mrs.  Thomas  S.  Foster,  of 
saintly  memory,  and  Mother  Moore,  whom  we  all  loved. 
Time  would  fail  me  to  tell  of  Miss  Catharine  Brown  (Mrs. 
S.  A.  Harrison),  Miss  Elizabeth  Shields,  Mrs.  Ellen  S. 
Hansell,  Mrs.  Susan  and  Sarah  Keen,  Mrs.  Mary  Loxley, 
Mrs.  E.  Levering,  Mrs.  E.  Auner,  Mrs.  Meyer,  Miss  S. 
Rittenhouse,  Mrs.  J.  O.  James,  Mrs.  Forepaugh,  Mrs.  E. 
Stoddart,  Mrs.  J.  H.  Cuthbert,  Miss  M.  L.  Bonney,  Miss 
Susie  Peterson,  whose  short  ministry  was  ever  one  of  joy 
and  gladness,  Miss  Jane  Dungan,  Miss  Catharine  Jones, 
down  to  Mrs.  R.  A.  Walker,  and  our  own  Mrs.  Washington 
Butcher,  and  Mrs.  C.  K.  Inglis,  secretary  for  twelve  (12) 
years,  whose  presence  was  ever  a  blessing  and  her  face  a 
benediction,  and  to  whose  semi-centennial  report,  published 
in  1890,  we  are  indebted  for  the  preservation  of  much  of 
our  past  history. 

These  all,  and  many  more  faithful  ones,  are  the  burn- 
ing and  shining  lights  ever  leading  us  upward  and  heaven- 
ward. Who  of  us  that  witnessed  it  will  ever  forget,  at 
the  late  Peace  Jubilee,  that  beautiful  vision  of  the  night, 
when  from  the  four  corners  of  our  City  Hall  arose  those 
long  lines,  studded  with  gems  of  light,  all  centering  on 
the  topmost  pinnacle,  where,  surrounded  by  the  same 
brilliancy,  stood  the  statue  of  our  Penn,  of  peaceful  fame? 
As  I  gazed  I  thought  of  that  other  building,  "  not  made  with 
hands,  eternal  in  the  heavens,"  and  of  the  long  succession 
of  saints  of  light,  continually  ascending  from  the  four 
corners  of  the  earth  to  the  very  presence  of  the  Prince  of 
Peace,  "  who  is  the  brightness  of  his  Father's  glory  and 
the  express  image  of  his  person."  And  as  I  gazed,  now 
and  then  a  light  would  disappear,  leaving  a  breach  in  that 
brilliant  chain,  and  I  thought —     Oh  !  that  all  of  us  would 


320  FIRST  BAPTIST  CHURCH. 

fill  our  places  in  that  saintly  ascending  procession,  keeping 
our  lights  trimmed  and  burning — 

"  Each  in  her  place,  you  in  yours,  and  I  in  mine, 
The  glory  of  the  whole,  the  Lord,  himself,  divine." 

The  third  reason  why  this  Society  claims  your  attention 
to-day  is  what  has  been  accomplished  through  its  instru- 
mentality. Beginning  with  assistance  to  young  men 
preparing  for  the  ministry,  its  benefactions  soon  extended 
to  the  poor  in  the  vicinity,  to  needy  scholars  in  the  Sunday- 
schools,  to  the  Northern  and  Southern  Homes  of  our  city, 
then  to  State  and  city  missionaries,  to  the  Baptist  Orphan- 
age, to  the  Indians,  to  missionaries  South  and  West,  to  the 
soldiers  in  the  Civil  War,  to  the  Johnstown  sufferers,  to 
soldiers  in  the  late  Cuban  War,  to  the  Missionary  Training 
School  in  this  city,  and  to  foreign  missionaries.  Boxes 
and  packages  have  been  sent  to  most  of  the  States  and 
territories  of  the  West  and  South,  to  Canada,  Ireland,  India, 
and  Africa — and  when  we  speak  of  boxes,  we  mean  boxes 
filled  with  useful  clothing,  adapted  to  the  needs  of  the 
recipients,  and  creditable  to  the  donors,  as  letters  laden 
with  thanks,  good  wishes,  and  even  tears  of  gratitude 
abundantly  testify. 

We  can  only  give  an  approximate  estimate  of  the  work 
done.  About  $  1 1 ,000  have  been  expended,  and  about  80,000 
garments  have  been  distributed,  including  shoes  ;  and  these 
figures  would  be  largely  increased  if  a  detailed  account  of 
the  earlier  boxes  and  packages  had  been  preserved.  More- 
over, this  part  of  our  work  can  not  be  estimated  by  num- 
bers, nor  measured  by  quantity,  but  by  tears  of  gratitude 
welling  up  in  the  hearts  of  God's  needy  servants,  by  the 
fervent  "  God  bless  you,"  by  the  song  in  the  heart  of  the 
widow,  by  the  smile  playing  on  the  lips  of  the  orphan. 
These  are   the   testimonials  of  our  work;    they  are  more 


BICENTENNIAL    CELEBRATION.  321 

precious  than  gold  or  pearls  of  the  Orient,  and  yet  they 
may  be  had  by  simply  doing  deeds  of  mercy  in  the  name 
of  Him  who  went  about  doing  good. 

There  is  another  side  to  our  work,  as  stated  in  the  begin- 
ning— the  promotion  of  social  and  religious  intercourse 
among  the  members  of  the  church  and  congregation,  and 
this  has  been  a  characteristic  of  our  Society  throughout 
its  entire  history.  Pardon  here  a  personal  allusion :  I 
came  to  this  city  an  entire  stranger,  and  it  was  in  the 
Dorcas  Society  where  I  was  first  welcomed  and  made  to 
feel  at  home  in  the  First  Baptist  Church.  How  many  kind 
words  have  there  been  spoken,  how  many  fervent  prayers 
offered,  how  many  burdens  lifted,  how  many  strangers 
cheered,  eternity  alone  will  disclose.  In  short,  the  watch- 
word of  Dorcas  throughout  its  history  has  been  "  love  and 
service  for  humanity";  organized  by  faith,  carried  on  in 
the  hope  of  a  blissful  immortality,  and  characterized  by 
charity  and  love  for  all  men. 

In  closing,  let  us  behold  for  one  brief  moment  the 
picture  which  St.  Paul  has  drawn  for  our  contemplation  : 
Three  forms,  white-robed  and  beautiful,  present  themselves 
to  our  view — the  first  standing  firm  amid  the  storms  and 
buffetings  of  life,  her  hands  clasping  the  cross,  which  she 
presses  to  her  bosom,  and  in  her  peaceful  face  and  upturned 
eyes  we  may  read,  "  According  to  your  Faith  be  it  unto 
thee  "  ;  the  second,  her  feet  planted  firmly  on  the  rocks, 
above  the  surges  and  tempests,  leaning  on  her  anchor,  and 
on  her  brow,  serene  and  high,  is  written,  Hope  is  "  an  anchor 
of  the  soul,  both  sure  and  steadfast";  the  third,  treading 
securely  the  straight  and  narrow  way,  unmindful  of  storm 
or  tempest,  carrying  the  children  in  her  arms,  her  face 
radiant  with  heavenly  beauty,  following  in  her  train  the 
poor,  the  sick,  the  halt,  the  lame,  the  blind,  and  we  can 
almost  hear  a  voice  saying,  "And  now  abideth  Faith, 
21 


322  FIRST  BAPTIST  CIJURCH. 

Hope,   Love,    these    three,  but    the    greatest    of  these    is 

Love." 

All  who  would  live  in  hearts  enshrined 
Must  live  in  love  with  all  mankind, 
In  ministries  to  human  want  and  woe, 
Like  ministering  angels  here  below  ; 
The  deed  of  love,  the  touch  of  sympathy. 
May  win  a  soul  to  all  eternity. 


The  present  officers  are  : 
Chairman,  Mrs.  T.  Seymour  .Scott. 
Chairman  of  Membership  Committee,  Mrs.  John  H.  Scott. 

"         "  Tea  "  Miss  Josephine  Dean. 

"         "  Work  "  Mrs.  John  T.  Stauffer. 

"         •'   Purchasing  "  Mrs.  Elizabeth  A.  Brock  way. 


REMINISCENCES  OF  WOMEN'S  WORK. 

MISS  M.  VIRGINIA  ASHTON. 


As  thought  calls  up  its  pictures  from  the  years  of"  long 
ago  "  and  the  "light  of  other  days  "  brightens  the  retrospec- 
tion, there  is  such  a  rush  of  memories  it  becomes  almost 
difficult  to  choose  that  which  shall  have  first  place.  There 
is  a  succession  of  photographs  developed  in  the  "  dark 
chambers"  of  the  mind — 

Of  Mrs.  Hansell,  whose  quiet,  dignified,  reposeftd  man- 
ner I  greatly  admired  as  a  child ;  Mrs.  Keyser,  whose 
name  will  be  often  spoken  during  these  retrospective  days; 
Mrs.  Wattson,  with  her  sweet,  placid  face  framed  in  the 
becoming  matronly  white  cap;  Mrs.  Foster,  with  her  won- 
derfully clear  and  well-stored  mind  ;  Miss  Weatherly,  whose 
memorials  are  the  Immanuel  Mission  and  the  Orphanage; 


BI-CENTENNIAL    CELEBRATION.  323 

Mrs.  Moore,  who  still  lives  in  the  Sunday-school  ("she 
being  dead  yet  speaketh  ").  Going  even  farther  into  the 
recesses  of  the  past,  there  is  a  tender  memory  of  Miss 
Hetty  Bruce,  with  voice  so  low  and  sweet, — that  "  most 
excellent  thing  in  woman," — so  shrinking  and  unobtrusive, 
and  yet  strong  in  her  convictions  about  right  and  wrong, 
never  hesitating  to  avow  and  stand  by  them  if  need  be. 
And  then  her  strong  opposite  in  manner  and  outward 
character,  whose  face  is  always  called  up  in  my  memory 
by  the  other,  because  of  their  very  antithesis,  Mrs.  Jane 
Seddinger,  whose  interest  was  in  the  Foreign  Mission  work, 
while  Miss  Hetty's  was  in  the  Home  Mission. 

Mrs.  Seddinger  was  quick,  alert,  her  voice  far-reaching. 
She  was  most  indefatigable  in  all  Christian  activities.  Al- 
most every  foreign  missionary  was  entertained  at  her 
house — the  Kincaids,  the  Browns,  Mrs.  Ingalls,  Mrs.  Vin- 
ton, and  hosts  of  others.  At  my  own  home  we  felt  it  to 
be  a  great  privilege  when  she  brought  them  to  "  take  tea  " 
with  us.  She  was  actively  interested  in  the  soldiers  and  the 
hospitals  during  the  civil  war,  and  was  one  of  the  leaders 
in  the  "  Fair  "  we  held  in  1862,  at  the  church,  for  the  bene- 
fit of  the  Sunday-school   and  sick  and  wounded  soldiers. 

The  third  in  this  trio,  as  my  mind  groups  them,  was 
Miss  Mary  Hallman.  Who  would  ever  forget  her  having 
once  seen  and  known  her?  The  short  figure,  clad  in  the 
black  stuff  gown  and  cloak  and  plain  bonnet  (though,  in- 
deed, the  bonnets  of  all  three  were  plain  enough)  and  her 
inseparable  companion,  the  black  bag,  which  always  carried 
a  Bible  and  tracts  and  some  good  book  for  "Anxious 
Inquirers,"  or  "  Helps  for  a  Young  Christian."  Hers  was 
not  the  face  of  a  heroine  of  romance,  and  yet  in  youth  she 
had  suffered  for  conscience'  sake.  Her  strong  and  vigor- 
ous mind  delighted  in  the  "  knotty  points  "  of  doctrine, 
and  was  almost  masculine  in  character.  These  women 
knew  well  the  Bible,  for  there  were  not  so  many  books  in 


324  I'IKSl'  BAPTIST  CHURCH. 

those  days,  and  the  instruction  given  their  classes  in  the 
Sunday-school  was  thorough  and  searching  and  without 
any  "  Helps,"  and  needed  to  be  prepared  for  two  sessions, 
as  it  was  then  the  custom  to  have. 

In  those  days,  before  the  organization  of  various  women's 
societies,  the  more  important  interests  carried  on  by  them 
were  the  Dorcas,  so  ancient  and  revered,  and  the  Sunday- 
school. 

I  was  very  proud  when  my  mother  took  me,  a  very 
little  girl,  sometimes  with  her  "  to  help  sew "  in  the 
"  upper  room,"  down  in  old  Lagrange  Place,  and  the 
brown  teapot  wherein  was  brewing  the  cup  for  the  cheer- 
ing of  the  ladies  after  their  labors  of  the  afternoon  will 
ever  be  associated  with  the  making  of  clothes  for  poor 
"  ministerial  students  "  and  others.  Putting  the  tea  to  boil 
was  the  first  duty  attended  to  (I  think  Mary  Hallman  was 
charged  with  this),  and  the  scent  of  that  "  Souchong  "  will 
live  with  me  as  long  as  I  live.  When  the  new  church  was 
building,  the  Dorcas  workers  were  anticipating  a  charmingly 
bright  room  for  their  very  own,  and  great  indeed  was 
the  disappointment  on  coming  to  Broad  and  Arch  Streets 
to  find  it  so  different  from  their  wishes  (there  were  no 
women  on  that  Building  Committee).  But  it  was  always  a 
cheerful,  busy  gathering  of  older  ones  and  young,  and 
many  times  Mrs.  Larcombe  would  have  to  ring  her  bell  to 
call  us  to  order. 

But  if  the  Dorcas  room  proved  disappointing,  the  Sunday- 
school  room  was  not,  for  what  a  change  from  the  old 
building  it  was  !  In  the  old  days  the  boys  were  on  the 
lower  floor,  and  the  girls  upstairs.  Dear  Miss  Hetty 
Bruce  was  superintendent  of  the  girls'  school,  and  the  day 
is  yet  sweet  and  fresh  to  me  when  my  mother  took  me 
there,  and  Miss  Hetty,  leading  me  by  the  hand,  put  me  in 
the  class  of  our  beloved  Carrie  Keyser,  better  known  now 
as  Mrs.  Inglis.     It  was  not  a  large  school,  and  there  were 


BI-CENTENNIAL    CELEBRATION.  325 

opportunities  for  little  personal  kindnesses.  One  quaint 
custom  was  to  give  a  beautiful  pin  cushion  to  any  teacher 
who  might  be  getting  married.  Every  one  gave  something 
toward  the  purchase  of  material,  and  the  cushion  was 
made  by  the  one  of  greatest  genius  and  expertness  in  the 
fabrication  of  cushions.  If  any  money  was  over,  it  went 
into  the  Missionary  Fund.  The  girls'  school  in  those  old 
times  gave  its  collections  to  the  Grande  Ligne  Mission. 
There  was  a  regular  missionary  meeting  one  Sunday  after- 
noon in  every  month.  During  several  years  Miss  Hen- 
rietta Ford  and  the  writer  of  this  were  treasurer  and 
secretary.  Each  class  was,  in  fact,  a  "missionary  circle." 
Madame  Fellar  herself  made  a  visit  to  Philadelphia  and 
met  the  ladies  of  the  church  and  some  of  the  scholars  one 
afternoon  in  the  Dorcas  room.  Her  saintly  face,  her 
charmingly  broken  English  with  its  occasional  French 
idioms  or  mannerisms,  are  a  sweet  remembrance. 

As  these  days  referred  to  were  before  the  birth  of  the 
Women's  Foreign  and  the  Women's  Home  Mission 
Societies,  the  contributions  and  efforts  were  for  the  older 
societies  at  New  York  and  Boston.  The  very  week  after 
my  admission  into  the  church  Miss  Bruce  said  I  must  be 
a  collector  for  the  American  Baptist  Home  Mission 
Society,  and  though  my  youth  would  seem  to  have 
excused  me,  she  put  a  little  book  into  my  hand  and  took 
me  to  call  on  those  who  were  to  be  my  subscribers. 

The  "  album  quilt  "  was  then  an  institution,  and  possibly 
it  helped  to  a  real  and  personal  interest  in  the  missionary 
and  his  or  her  work.  There  went  also  a  box  to  India 
every  year  as  part  of  the  foreign  work.  And  while  it  was 
not  customary  for  a  "sister"  to  speak  or  pray  in  the 
general  prayer  meeting,  there  was  a  women's  prayer  meet- 
ing held  regularly,  if  memory  serves  me  right,  at  Mrs. 
Hansen's  house,  that  my  mother  loved  I  know. 

The   Union   or    "  Southern    Home    for   Children "  ;  the 


-,26  FIRST  BAPTIST  CHURCH. 


Bible  Society  ;  and  kindred  services  for  the  Master  were 
very  dear  to  the  hearts  of  many,  and  then,  as  now,  the 
church  was  rich  in  its  true  Daughters  of  the  King — "  of 
the  chief  women  not  a  few."  Of  later  years  and  workers 
others  can  tell  you  much  more  vividly  and  interestingly. 


WEDNESDAY   EVENING,  DECEMBER  7. 


GREETINGS: 
INSTITUTIONAL,  ANCESTRAL,  DENOMINATIONAL. 

ADDRESS: 

OUR  INDEBTEDNESS  TO  THE  FATHERS, 

HENRY  M.  KING,  D.D. 


GREETINGS— INSTITUTIONAL 


THE    BAPTIST  ORPHANAGE, 

ANGORA,   PA. 

The  Managers  of  the  Baptist  Orphanage  extend  their 
congratulations  at  this,  your  Bi-Centenary  celebration,  re- 
membering all  of  its  members  who  have  so  lovingly  minis- 
tered to  our  needs  in  the  days  gone  by. 

Our  Orphanage  owes  its  origin  to  the  pennies  of  a  little 
child  in  the  Immanuel  Mission  twenty  years  ago,  and  the 
First  Baptist  Church  has  been  one  on  which  we  could 
depend  in  every  time  of  need. 

We  rejoice  in  your  prosperity  and  enlarged  usefulness. 
May  the  Baptist  Orphanage  always  find  a  warm  place  in 
your  hearts.  Ida  E.  Paul, 

Corresponding  Secretary. 


THE  PHILADELPHIA   HOME    FOR    INCURABLES. 

To  the  chorus  of  voices  which  are  congratulating  this 
venerable  church  to-day  the  Managers  of  the  Home  for 
Incurables  must  add  theirs  ;  for  to  some  of  the  members  of 
the  congregation  this  work  owes  much  of  the  impulse 
which  brought  it  into  being. 

May  God's  richest  blessing  abide  in  your  service  for 
Him,  and  make  you,  like  Joseph  of  old,  a  fruitful  bough 
by  a  well,  whose  branches  run  over  the  wall. 

Mrs.  Edward  H.  Ogden,  President. 
Mrs.  Caroline  K.  Inglis,  Secretary. 
329 


330  FIRST  BAPTIST  CHURCH. 

THE  WOMEN'S  NATIONAL  INDIAN   ASSOCIATION. 

Greetings  and  congratulations  upon  your  life  and  work 
of  two  hundred  years,  and  upon  the  widely  extended  fam- 
ily of  sons  and  daughters  who,  in  consecrated  lives  in  many 
lands,  have  embodied  the  teachings  of  their  Mother  Church. 

The  Women's  National  Indian  Association  claims  the 
privilege  of  sending  affectionate  greetings  upon  the  great 
memorial  day  of  the  Church,  since  the  first  steps  of  the 
movement  which  resulted  in  the  organization  of  the  Associa- 
tion were  taken  by  the  president  of  the  Home  Mission 
Circle  of  the  Church,  Miss  Mary  L.  Bonney,  in  its  meetings 
in  the  spring  of  1879;  since  she  was  the  first  President  of 
the  Association  ;  since  Mrs.  George  Dana  Boardman  was 
its  first  Treasurer ;  and  since  another  member  of  the  Church 
was  the  General  Secretary  for  eight  years,  and  from  that 
time  to  the  present  has  been  its  President.  Though  the 
Association,  from  its  beginning,  was  undenominational  and 
national  in  character,  the  first  committee  for  the  movement 
was  wholly  from  this  church. 

It  is  fitting,  therefore,  that  now,  with  members  or  workers 
in  forty  States  and  Territories  of  the  Union,  the  Associa- 
tion should  bring  its  best  greetings  to  the  Church  whose 
pastoral  teaching,  under  God,  inspired  its  members  to 
originate  and  lead  a  patriotic  and  redemptive  work  for  our 
own  aboriginal  race.  May  the  God  of  our  fathers  grant 
other  centennials  to  the  beloved  First  Baptist  Church,  and 
make  her  ever  more  and  more  a  home  of  light,  and  the 
mother  of  many  messengers  to  be  divinely  sent  to  the 
mountains,  plains,  and  valleys  of  our  own  dear  land,  and  to 
all  the  nations  upon  earth. 

Amelia  S.  Ouinton, 

President. 


BI-CENTENNIAL    CELEBRATION.  331 

THE  BAPTIST  HOME. 

The  Baptist  Home  desires  to  send  congratulatory  Chris- 
tian greeting  to  the  First  Baptist  Church  on  the  occasion 
of  its  Bi-Centennial  Anniversary. 

The  noble  history  of  the  Church  has  always  been  an  in- 
centive for  good  to  the  denomination,  and  the  Baptist 
Home,  having  been  the  recipient  of  your  generous  bounty, 
prays  that  the  richest  of  Heaven's  blessings  may  descend 
in  copious  showers  upon  you  as  you  enter  upon  this  new 
era  of  your  existence. 

Mrs.  Levi  Knowles, 

President. 


BROWN  UNIVERSITY, 

PROVIDENCE,  R.  I. 

I  deem  it  an  honor  as  well  as  a  pleasure  to  convey,  on 
this  memorable  occasion,  the  greetings  and  congratulations 
of  Brown  University  to  the  First  Baptist  Church,  Phila- 
delphia, to  which,  through  the  labors  of  the  honored  Mor- 
gan Edwards,  one  of  its  early  Pastors,  the  University  owes 
its  existence. 

It  is  with  deep  gratitude  that  to-day  the  dutiful  daughter 
sends  her  warm  and  kindly  greetings  to  her  devoted 
mother. 

Brown  University,  never  unmindful  of  the  great  debt  of 
obligation  that  rests  upon  her,  has  endeavored  as  far  as 
possible  to  repay  the  Church  in  something  more  than  grati- 
tude. She  offered  her  the  first  fruits  of  her  labors  in  the 
person  of  Rev.  William  Rogers,  the  faithful  laborer  and 
successor  of  Morgan  Edwards.  Such  offerings  have  been 
repeated  until  the  present  time,  in  which  one  of  her  richest 
gifts  is  still  enjoyed  in  the  person  of  her  loved  and  honored 


332  F/RS7'  BAPTIST  CHURCH. 

son,  Rev.  George  Dana  Boardnian,  of  whose  long  and 
faithful  services  and  influence  no  one  in  this  generation 
need  be  told. 

Again  we  could  with  just  pride  mention  the  names  of 
noble  laymen,  sons  of  Brown,  who  have  stood  and  are  now 
standing  as  pillars  in  her  spiritual  house. 

Comparing  the  past  with  the  present  of  both  Church 
and  University,  we  may  truly  exclaim,  "  What  hath  God 
wrought!"  and  with  trustful  hearts  can  say,  "Thus  far 
hath  the  Lord  led  us." 

In  view  of  the  close  relationship  to  you  in  the  past  and 
the  strong  bonds  which  now  bind  us  together,  we  feel  justi- 
fied in  claiming  a  right  to  rejoice  with  you  to-day. 

May  God,  who  has  so  signally  blessed  us  through  all  the 
years  of  our  history,  bestow  now  a  more  abundant  blessing 
both   upon  the   First  Baptist  Church  of  Philadelphia  and 

upon  her  obedient  child. 

Benjamin  F.  Clarke, 

Presidctit- 


THE   COLUMBIAN  UNIVERSITY, 

WASHINGTON,  D.  C. 

We  congratulate  you  upon  the  noble  record  of  two  hun- 
dred years.  We  join  with  the  host  of  friends  to  whom  the 
name  of  the  church  is  dear  in  abundant  good  wishes  and 
good  hopes  for  all  the  years  to  come.  Great  things  have 
been  accomplished.  Greater  things  still  are  possible.  That 
the  largest  possibilities  of  the  Church  may  be  realized  is 
our  desire,  and  in  the  quaint  language  of  the  olden  time 
we  say,  "  So  mote  it  be." 

Our  felicitations  are  all  the  warmer  because  of  the  per- 
sonal element  involved  in  them.  Your  Pastor  became  our 
President.     The  eloquence,  the  zeal,  the  godly  character 


BI-CENTENNIAL    CELEBRATION.  333 

which  made  him  a  power  in  Philadelphia  made  him  a  power 
in  Washington  and  throughout  the  country.  Among  the 
great  names  in  our  work,  as  in  yours,  we  reverently  recall 
that  of  Rev.  William  Staughton,  D.D. 

B.  L.  Whitman, 

President. 


BUCKNELL    UNIVERSITY, 

LEWISBURG,  PA. 

The  venerable  but  perpetually  youthful  First  Baptist 
Church  of  Philadelphia  is  the  mother  both  of  churches 
and  of  educational  institutions  ;  among  the  rest,  of  Buck- 
nell  University  at  Lewisburg.  Rev.  William  Shadrach, 
D.D.,  and  your  pastor.  Rev.  George  B.  Ide,  D.D.,  were  the 
committee  which  visited  Lewisburg  to  inquire  into  the  pro- 
priety of  establishing  the  school,  and  the  desirableness  of 
the  location.  They  reported  favorably  to  a  conference  of 
representative  Baptists,  who  met  in  the  lecture-room  of  the 
First  Church.  Seventy-six  members  of  the  First  Church 
subscribed  toward  the  ^100,000  required  by  the  Charter  to 
be  raised  before  the  Corporation  could  go  into  operation. 
Among  the  subscribers  were  such  names  as  Dr.  David 
Jayne,  William  Bucknell,  Thomas  Wattson,  John  C. 
Davis,  William  W.  Keen,  Samuel  M.  Hopper,  and  Rev.  B. 
R.  Loxley.  Deacon  Thomas  Wattson  was,  from  1850 
to  1874,  chairman  of  the  Board  of  Trustees.  William 
Bucknell  held  the  same  position  from  1882  until  1890,  and 
the  present  chairman,  Mr.  Harry  S.  Hopper,  is  a  child  of 
the  First  Church.  The  pastor  emeritus  of  the  Church, 
Rev.  George  Dana  Boardman,  D.D.,  LL.D.,  is  a  stated 
lecturer  of  the  college,  as  was,  till  his  lamented  death,  Rev. 
Heman  Lincoln  Wayland,  D.D.,  LL.D.     During  its  whole 


334  J-IRST  BAPTIST  CHURCH. 

history  Bucknell  University  has  looked  to  the  First  Bap- 
tist Church  of  Philadelphia  for  a  large  share  of  its  material 
and  moral  support,  and  has  never  looked  in  vain. 

John  H.  Harris, 

Presidejit. 


THE   UNIVERSITY    OF    PENNSYLVANIA. 

The  church  had  attained  a  measure  of  maturity  at  the 
date  which  the  University  claims  for  its  origin,  but  so  few 
were  the  then  existing  institutions  of  Philadelphia,  and 
such  is  the  perspective  of  accumulated  years,  that  they 
may  be  held  almost  equally  venerable  in  point  of  age. 
This  alone  would  give  fitness  to  the  greeting.  But  there 
are  other  and  profounder  motives. 

Standing  each  on  its  distinctive  ground,  the  Church  and 
the  University  are  of  such  high  and  kindred  purpose 
that  they  are  apart  from  other,  even  the  most  worthy, 
organizations:  one  existing  for  the  spiritual,  the  other  for 
the  intellectual,  and  both  for  the  moral  uplifting  of  man- 
kind. Hence  there  has  ever  been  a  sharing  between  them 
of  workers  and  upholders,  and  this  constitutes  a  personal 
bond,  such  as  in  their  earlier  and  in  their  later  years  has 
existed  between  the  First  Baptist  Church  of  Philadelphia 
and  the  University  of  Pennsylvania. 

P"or  the  earliest  it  is  suf^cient  to  name  the  Rev.  Ebenezer 
Kinnersley,  who,  though  never  the  pastor  of  a  church, 
served  this  congregation  at  times  when  its  pastorate  was 
vacant,  and  who  was  one  of  the  earliest  ornaments  of  the 
University.  With  P^ranklin  and  others  he  began  in  1 746 
the  investigation  of  electricity,  and  his  researches  were  of 
such  merit  as  to  occasion  Dr.  Priestley,  in  1767,  to  say: 
"  While  we  are  attending  to  what  was  done  by  Dr.  Franklin, 
at  Philadelphia,  we  must  by  no  means  overlook  what  was 


BI-CENTEXNIAL    CELEBRATION.  335 

done  by  Dr.  Kinnersley,  the  doctor's  friend."  In  1753  he 
became  Professor  of  Oratory  and  English  Literature,  hold- 
ing that  position  until  1773,  when  ill  health  forced  him 
to  resign.  Meanwhile  he  never  ceased  those  studies  in 
physical  science  which  ranked  him  here  and  abroad  with 
Franklin  and  Rittenhouse,  and  reflected  the  highest  credit 
on  the  University.  A  noble  window  in  College  Hall  fitly 
commemorates  the  name  and  achievements  of  the  modest 
professor,  who  was  alike  honored  and  useful  in  the  religious 
and  the  academic  world. 

Perhaps  a  closer  tie  was  created  when,  in  1789,  your 
pastor,  the  Rev.  William  Rogers,  D.D.,  was  elected  to  the 
Chair  once  held  by  Dr.  Kinnersley,  that  of  Oratory  and 
English  Literature;  and  the  best  testimony  to  his  learning, 
taste,  and  fidelity  is  found  in  the  fact  that  for  a  period  of 
twenty-two  years  he  held  the  most  exacting  position  in  a 
community  at  that  time  perhaps  the  most  cultivated  and 
critical  in  the  New  World. 

The  later  tie  that  unites  these  corporations  is  familiar  to 
you.  In  1879  your  then  Pastor,  and  now  Honorary 
Pastor,  the  Rev.  George  Dana  Boardman,  D.D.,  was  elected 
a  trustee  of  the  University,  and  has  ever  since  served  it 
with  that  characteristic  zeal  and  fidelity  so  well  known  to 
the  members  of  this  Church.  Ever  taking  a  lively  interest 
in  the  religious  welfare  of  its  students,  he  was  the  first 
appointed  chaplain  to  conduct  their  morning  service.  To 
their  secular  instruction  he  has  added  series  of  Sunday 
lectures  that  were  highly  appreciated  not  only  by  them, 
but  by  many  members  of  the  Board  and  Faculty. 

Ten  years  ago  the  University  declared  its  mind  of  him 
by  conferring  on  him  its  highest  academic  honor,  in  the 
degree  of  Doctor  of  Laws. 

Time  would  fail  to  enumerate  the  other  personal  links 
that  in  less  conspicuous  ways  have  kept  a  vital  connection 
between  the  Church  and  the  University.    Let  these  recitals 


336  FIRST  BAP77S7    CHUKCII. 

suffice  to  justify  the  greeting  that  the  University  sends  to 
the  First  Baptist  Church  on  this  auspicious  occasion.  May 
its  third  century  witness  not  only  a  spiritual  prosperity  as 
great  as  of  old,  but  a  continuance  of  that  happy  unity 
between  Religion  and  Learning  which  in  the  past  has  been 
so  honorable  and  so  fruitful  to  these  now  venerable  institu- 
tions. 

Jesse  Y.  Burk, 

Secretary  of  the  Board  of  Trustees. 


GREETING— ANCESTRAL. 


LOWER  DUBLIN  ( PENNEPEK)  BAPTIST  CHURCH. 

Rev.  THOMAS  P.  HOLLOWAY,  Pastor. 

The  other  day  I  was  looking  over  the  pages  of  a  book- 
yellow  with  age  ;  a  book  the  earliest  pages  of  which  are 
covered  with  the  quaint  penmanship  of  scribes  whose 
hands  were  stiffened  in  death  many,  many  years  ago.  This 
book,  the  most  ancient  and  the  most  venerated  record  of  our 
denomination  in  all  this  neighborhood,  contains,  amid  the 
statements  of  facts  and  events  everlastingly  important  to 
Baptist  success  and  the  progress  of  the  kingdom  of  God, 
the  brief  but  concise  account  of  the  establishing  of  "  The 
Particular  Baptist  Church  of  Philadelphia,"  the  First  Baptist 
Church. 

This  book  contains  the  minutes  of  the  Lower  Dublin 
Baptist  Church,  formerly  called  the  "  Pennepek  Church," 
the  mother  of  your  great  church,  in  whose  honor  we  are 
now  met. 

Two  hundred  years  ago  the  first  mission  of  the  Penne- 


BI-CENTENNIAL    CELEBRATION.  337 

pek  Church  was  started  in  Philadelphia  (for  at  that  time  the 
Pennepek  Church  was  not  within  the  city  limits),  and 
to-night  I  have  the  honor,  as  the  pastor  of  the  mother 
church,  to  extend  our  heartiest  greetings  to  a  daughter  now 
grown  so  great.  The  mother  church,  old  but  yet  vigorous, 
gives  her  blessing  to  the  First  Baptist  Church  of  Philadel- 
phia. 

Looking  over  two  hundred  years  of  marvelous  history, 
we  are  reminded  of  the  wise  words  of  Jesus,  "  Other  men 
labored  and  ye  are  entered  into  their  labors."  In  the  health- 
ful veins  of  your  church  there  flows  the  blood  of  a  noble 
ancestry.  The  church  whose  trials  and  triumphs  we  are 
now  celebrating  has  been  God  favored  and  man  favored. 

This  church,  in  the  providence  of  God,  has  been  placed 
in  a  most  fertile  and  conspicuous  field  of  activity.  From 
its  position  in  the  central  part  of  Philadelphia,  the  Ameri- 
can of  American  cities,  from  pre-revolutionary  times  to 
this  day  it  has  wielded  an  influence  of  national  scope. 

Some  churches,  like  individuals,  are  born  great,  and 
some  have  greatness  thrust  upon  them.  This  church  was 
born  great,  and,  from  its  location,  had  greatness  thrust 
upon  it.  The  First  Baptist  Church,  in  the  heart  of  the  city 
in  which  the  Declaration  of  Independence  was  composed 
and  signed,  in  which  the  Continental  Congress  gave  direc- 
tion to  the  first  purely  American  legislation,  in  which  lived, 
as  the  first  President  of  the  new  republic,  the  incomparable 
Washington,  had  thrust  upon  it  an  opportunity  which  for 
far-reaching  usefulness  has  rarely  been  equaled. 

And  this  great  opportunity  found  a  people  great  in  zeal, 
intelligence,  and  spirituality,  ready  in  the  name  of  God  to 
seize  and  transform  it  into  splendid  accomplishment.  The 
Baptist  denomination  owes  its  present  power  and  prestige 
in  the  Church  universal  in  large  degree  to  the  deep  spirit- 
uality, untiring  devotion,  self-sacrificing  labors,  and  pro- 
phetic insight  of  the  churches  of  this  city.     And  no  church 


338  F/RST  BAPTIST  CHURCH. 

was  more  potential  in  its  activities  than  the  "  First,  Pliila- 
delphia." 

The  consecrated  brain  and  heart  of  the  pastors  and 
members  of  the  First  Church  were  strong  f^ictors  in  the 
estabh'shment  of  the  first  Baptist  academy  (Hopewell), 
first  Baptist  college  (now  Brown  University),  and  the  crea- 
tion of  the  Foreign  Missionary  Society,  which  has  grown 
into  the  splendid  American  Baptist  Missionary  Union. 

The  first  Baptist  Sunday-school  was  started  by  some 
spirit-filled  women  members  of  the  First  Church.  Indeed, 
the  first  President  of  Rhode  Island  College  (now  Brown 
University)  supplied  this  church  at  perhaps  the  most  criti- 
cal time  in  its  history — during  the  darkest  days  of  the 
Revolutionary  War,  and,  like  Paul  on  the  shipwrecked 
vessel,  gave  courage  to  hearts  about  to  faint  in  utter 
despair. 

It  was  in  the  meeting-house  of  the  First  Baptist  Church 
that  the  Philadelphia  Association  met  at  sunrise,  October 
25,  1781,  to  joyously  thank  God  for  the  complete  victory 
of  Washington  and  his  heroes  at  Yorktown. 

What  church  has  been  more  signally  blest,  in  the  majority 
of  its  pastors,  than  this  church  ?  Only  the  All-Wise  knows 
the  fullness  of  the  vast  debt  which  this  Society  owes,  for  its 
brilliant  successes,  to  the  illustrious  men  who  have  success- 
ively ministered  to  it  in  holy  things. 

The  very  high  order  of  talent  and  character  which  have 
been  maintained,  with  but  few  exceptions,  by  its  pastors  is 
a  matter  of  note  to  all  who  are  to  any  extent  familiar  with 
its  history.  Under  the  ministrations  of  less  capable  men 
than  Jenkin  Jones,  the  pioneer ;  Morgan  Edwards,  the  his- 
torian ;  William  Rogers,  the  scholar  and  orator;  Thomas 
Ustick,  the  wise  guide  in  troubled  times  ;  and  others  equally 
able  and  consecrated,  whose  names  I  have  not  time  to  men- 
tion, your  church,  in  spite  of  its  most  favorable  location, 
and  the  conspicuous  intelligence  and  piety  of  its  members. 


BI-CENTENNIAL    CELEBRATION.  339 

could  never  have  made  the  record  which  now  so  thrills 
our  grateful  hearts. 

And  the  early  members  of  the  church  have  not  excelled 
their  successors  in  coveting  the  best  gifts  in  the  choice  of 
pastors.  For,  in  this  auspicious  time,  the  name  of  your 
honorary  pastor,  George  Dana  Boardman,  is  a  familiar  and 
beloved  name  in  every  intelligent  Christian  community  in 
America  and  Europe,  and  your  present  pastor,  Kerr  Boyce 
Tupper,  is  leading  you  on  to  fresh  victories  in  the  name  of 
Jesus  Christ. 

But  while  you  are  deeply  indebted  to  the  glorious  past, 
you  are  likewise  under  obligation  for  present  blessings  to 
the  yet  more  glorious  future.  Christianity  is  not  so  much 
a  religion  of  yesterday  as  of  to-morrow.  Jesus  Christ  is 
not  only  the  same  yesterday  and  to-day,  but  forever. 
If  the  first  advent  of  Jesus  is  a  cause  for  ceaseless 
praise  to  the  gracious  Father,  what  of  the  advent  yet  to 
come  ?  The  past  may  encourage  the  saint,  but  the  future 
always  inspires  him  ;  and  encouragement  is  to  inspiration 
as  moonlight  is  to  sunlight.  The  knowledge  that  to-mor- 
row will  be  greater  than  yesterday  or  to-day  humbles  the 
Christian  in  victory,  and  consoles  him  in  defeat ;  mellows 
his  laughter,  and  wipes  away  his  tears. 

All  tendencies  to  false  pride  or  unhealthful  discourage- 
ment, engendered  by  contemplation  of  the  past,  are  dissi- 
pated by  a  hopeful  view  of  God's  to-morrow. 

The  permanent  joy  of  the  heaven  to  come  will  be  better 
immeasurably  than  the  temporary  ecstacy  of  yesterday's 
transfiguration.  The  brightest  day  of  the  past  had  its 
clouds  ;  the  cloudless  day  is  yet  to  dawn.  You  see  a  small 
segment  of  the  circle  of  divine  love  in  the  conquest  of 
your  fathers,  O  members  of  the  First  Baptist  Church  of 
Philadelphia!  You  are  destined  to  rejoice  with  "joy 
unspeakable,  and  full  of  glory,"  at  the  vision  of  the  com- 
pleted circle  of  God's  love. 


340 


FIRST  BAPTIST  CHURCH. 


GREETINGS— DENOMINATIONAL. 


THE  FIRST  BAPTIST  CHURCH,  PROVIDENCE,  R.  I., 

THE  OLDEST  BAPTIST  CHURCH   IN  AMERICA. 

Accept  our  sincere  and  fraternal  congratulations  that, 
under  the  watchful  care  and  loving  guidance  of  the  great 
Head  of  the  Church,  you  have  been  permitted  to  round 
out  the  second  century  of  }'our  church-life. 

Enriched  by  all  the  sacred  and  precious  memories  of  the 
past,  steadfast  in  the  faith  once  delivered  to  the  saints,  and 
strengthened  by  the  perpetually  indwelling  Spirit  of  Christ, 
may  you  enter  upon  the  new  century  of  your  existence 
with  courage  and  hope,  and  with  a  clear  vision  of  the 
enlarged  opportunities  and  the  imperative  demands  of  the 
time  in  which  we  live. 

"  Now  unto  him  that  is  able  to  do  exceeding  abundantly 
above  all  that  we  ask  or  think  according  to  the  power  that 
worketh  in  us,  unto  him  be  glory  in  the  Church  by  Jesus 
Christ  throughout  all  ages,  world  without  end.    Amen." 

Adopted  at  a  meeting  of  the  First  Baptist  Church  in 
Providence,  held  December  i,  1898. 

[Attest]  W.M.  A.  Gamwell, 

Church  Clerk. 


THE  FIRST  BAPTIST  CHURCH,  NEWPORT,   R.  I. 

The  First  Baptist  Church,  Newport,  R.  I.,  in  devout 
gratitude  for  two  hundred  and  sixty  years  of  honorable 
history  and  heroic  service,  sends  Christian  greeting  and 
hearty  congratulations  to  her  fair  sister  on  this  significant 
two  hundredth  anniversary. 


BI-CENTEN-NfAL    CELEBRATION.  341 

Your  prolonged  prosperity,  increased  vigor,  and  multi- 
plied spiritual  power  through  two  centuries  of  marvelous 
history  give  great  joy  and  satisfaction  to  your  elder  sister, 
whose  heart  swells  with  praise  for  that  which  God  hath 
wrought  through  you. 

As  you  cross  the  threshold  of  your  third  century  of  life 
with  brightening  prospects  and  broadening  plans,  may  our 
fathers'  God  crown  your  projects  with  glorious  success 
and  make  you  a  vital  power  for  righteousness  in  )'our 
historic  city. 

May  your  new  edifice  be  adorned  with  the  glorious 
presence  of  the  Holy  Spirit. 

By  order  and  in  behalf  of  the  Church, 

Brewer  G.  Boardman, 

Nineteenth  Pastor. 


THE    FIRST    BAPTIST  CHURCH,   BOSTON,   MASS. 

The  First  Baptist  Church  of  Boston,  founded  in  1665, 
sends  you  greeting.  We,  too,  like  yourselves,  are  moved 
by  a  profound  sense  of  gratitude  to  God  for  his  wonderful 
preservation  of  us  as  a  church  through  the  vicissitudes  of 
so  many  years.  Two  and  a  third  centuries  ago  Baptists 
were  a  feeble  folk,  and  it  required  both  intelligence  and 
courage  to  ally  one's  self  with  a  sect  which  was  every  where 
spoken  against.  God  greatly  honored  us  in  making  us  the 
pioneers  of  religious  liberty,  and  also  in  keeping  alive 
among  us  the  spirit  of  world-wide  evangelization.  We 
rejoice  with  you  in  the  great  work  which  God  has  per- 
mitted you  to  do,  and  that  the  one  has  become  a  hundred 
churches.  We  congratulate  you  upon  the  renewed  vigor 
with  which  you  begin  the  third  century  of  your  life. 
Philadelphia  and  Boston  have  become  Baptist  strongholds. 


342  FIRST  BAPTIST  CHURCH. 

The  fidelity  of  these   two  ancient   First  Baptist  Churches 
surely  has  had  large  rewards  from  our  God. 

Praying  for  you  an  even  ampler  life  of  Christian  useful- 
ness than  in  the  past,  I  am 

Sincerely  yours, 

Nathan  E.  Wood, 

Minister. 


THE   FIRST  BAPTIST  CHURCH,   CHARLESTON,   S.  C. 

As  the  pastor  of  a  church  organized  two  hundred  and 
sixteen  years  ago,  I  feel  honored  in  forwarding  to  so  vener- 
able a  body  as  the  First  Baptist  Church  of  Philadelphia 
this  Christian  salutation. 

The  bond  of  union  between  these  churches  is  very  close. 
Apart  from  the  similarity  of  Bible  doctrines  and  Church 
polity,  they  have  enjoyed  the  ministration  of  men  who 
have  lived  and  labored  in  both  cities.  Dr.  William  T. 
Brantly  was  Pastor  of  both  the  First  Church  in  Philadel- 
phia and  of  the  First  Church  in  Charleston.  The  distin- 
guished father  of  his  no  less  distinguished  son  (your  noble 
Pastor  at  present)  was  a  member  of  the  Plrst  Baptist  Church 
here.  And  the  present  Pastor  of  the  First  Baptist  Church 
of  Charleston  is  a  brother  of  your  former  Pastor,  Rev. 
James  H.  Cuthbert,  D.D.,  of  sainted  memory.  How 
strangely  interwoven  has  been  the  history  of  these  two 
ancient  landmarks  that  have  stood  so  valiantly  for  the 
faith  once  delivered  to  the  saints  !  "  Blest  be  the  tie  that 
binds!"  These  two  churches  can  truly  say,  as  did  Paul 
(Acts  xxvi :  22,  23),  "  Having  therefore  obtained  help  of 
God,  I  [we]  continue  unto  this  day,"  etc. 

"  God  be  with  you  till  we  meet  again." 

Lucius  Cuthbert, 

Fastor. 


BI-CENTENNIAL    CELEBRATION.  343 

THE  BAPTIST  CHURCH, 

MIDDLETOWN,  N.  J. 

The  Baptist  Church  at  Middletown,  N.  J.,  now  in  its 
two  hundred  and  tenth  year,  extends,  together  with  sister 
churches,  most  hearty  congratulations  to  the  First  Baptist 
Church  in  Philadelphia,  upon  the  celebration  of  its  two 
hundredth  anniversary. 

"  Now  the  God  of  peace,  that  brought  again  from  the 
dead  our  Lord  Jesus,  the  great  Shepherd  of  the  sheep, 
through  the  blood  of  the  everlasting  covenant,  make  you 
perfect  in  every  good  work  to  do  His  will,  working  in  you 
that  which  is  well  pleasing  in  His  sight,  through  Jesus 
Christ,  to  whom  be  glory  forever  and  forever." — Hebreivs 
xiii :  20,  21. 

J.  Parker, 

Pastor. 


THE  PISCATAWAY  BAPTIST  CHURCH, 

STEELTON,  N.  J. 

The  First  Baptist  Church  of  Piscataway,  N.  J.,  sends 
cordial  greetings  to  the  First  Baptist  Church  of  Philadel- 
phia on  this  her  two  hundredth  birthday. 

The  extraordinary  occasion  which  calls  you  together 
will  awaken  thoughts  of  an  interesting  character  somewhat 
similar  to  those  of  "  Piscataway,"  when,  as  a  mother  of 
churches,  her  bi-centennial  was  celebrated  on  June  20, 
1889. 

Piscataway  Baptist  Church  is  the  second  oldest  of  our 
denomination  in  New  Jersey,  and  the  twelfth,  if  not  the 
tenth,  one  organized  in  this  continent. 

Her  message  of  love  and  good-will  to  you  would  bear 
on  the  proper  cause,  that   has  kept    and    will    keep    the 


344  FIRST  BAPTIST  CIIUKCII. 

religious  individual  to  the  religious  organization,  and  the 
religious  organization  to  the  great  and  Holy  God. 

Concerning  the  question  of  church  perpetuity,  there  is 
but  one  large  reply  to  make  ;  one  pivot  is  all  we  need  ; 
smaller  answers  revolve  around  the  great  explanation — 
summed  up  in  the  name  and  in  the  power  of  our  com- 
mon Lord  and  Saviour,  Jesus  Christ. 

Christ  is  the  great  secret  of  all  true  staying  qualities  of 
the  Church.  He  has  been,  He  is,  and  ever  must  be  the 
central  evidence  of  our  religion. 

The  worthy  history  of  the  old  "  First "  of  Philadelphia 
speaks  of  the  zeal  and  usefulness  and  holy  living  of  the 
many  who  have  laid  down  the  sword,  who  have  entered 
the  rest  of  heaven,  and  accepted  the  crown  of  reward. 
Yet  the  work  of  the  past  two  hundred  years  can  not  answer 
for  the  work  that  must  be  accomplished  now. 

Brothers  and  sisters  of  the  "  First"  Philadelphia,  remem- 
ber Revelation  iii :  7,  8  : 

"  And  to  the  angel  of  the  Church  in  Philadelphia  write  : 

I  know  thy  works  :  behold  I  have  set  before  thee 

an  open   door,  and   no   man   can  shut  it ;  for  thou  hast  a 

little  strength  and  hast  kept  my  word,  and  hast  not  denied 

my  name." 

Your  aged  sister  "  Piscataway  "  thanks  God  for  your 
long  and  honored  past;  she  rejoices  with  you  to-day  in 
your  solid  and  substantial  present;  she  is  glad  for  your 
healthful  and  reliable  future ;  and  says  on  this  important 
and  momentous  occasion  :  "  My  sister,  many  happy  returns 

of  the  day." 

William  T.  Dokward, 

Pastor. 


BI-CENTENNIAL    CELEBRATION.  345 

FIFTH   AVENUE   BAPTIST  CHURCH, 

NEW  YORK. 

I  beg  leave  to  send  my  hearty  congratulations  to  a 
church  that  looks  backward  only  in  order  that  it  may  go 
forward.  I  rejoice  in  all  your  long  noble  history,  whose 
recital  must  be  a  constant  inspiration.  But  I  rejoice  yet 
more  that  you  realize  that  "  new  occasions  teach  new 
duties,"  and  that  one  of  the  oldest  churches  in  this  country 
in  years  is  one  of  the  youngest  in  energy  and  devotion. 

W.  H.  P.  Faunce, 

Past 07-. 


CALVARY    BAPTIST  CHURCH, 

NEW  YORK. 

"  Dr.  Mac  Arthur  begs  to  present  to  the  Church  his 
hearty  congratulations  on  the  occurrence  of  its  Bi-centen- 
nial  Anniversary  ;  on  its  long  line  of  illustrious  pastors  ; 
on  its  manifold  service  for  the  Baptist  denomination  and 
the  cause  of  Christ  at  large  ;  and  on  its  prospects  for  still 
wider  usefulness,  nobler  service,  and  diviner  consecration 
for  the  good  of  man  and  the  glory  of  God." 


ADDRESS: 

'■'Our  Indebtedness  to  the  Fathers."  Henrv  M.  King, 
D.D.,  Pastor  First  Baptist  Church,  Providence,  R.  L,  the 
oldest  Baptist  Church  in  America;  organized  1639.  (See 
page  213.) 


THURSDAY  EVENING,  DECEMBER  8. 


GREETINGS: 
INTERDENOMINATIONAL,  FILIAL. 

ADDRESS: 

AMERICAN  CHRISTL\NITY  IN  ITS  WORLD  RELATIONS, 

HENRY  C.  MABIE,  D.D. 


GREETINGS— INTERDENOMINATIONAL. 


THE  FIRST  PRESBYTERIAN  CHURCH, 

PHILADELPHIA. 

I  regret  more  than  I  can  expres.s  my  inability  to  be  with 
you  this  evening.  I  am  confined  to  my  house  and  to  my 
room  by  a  very  severe  cold,  and  am  forbidden  to  go  out  of 
doors. 

Please  say  to  the  people  for  me  that  my  disappointment 

is  sore. 

"  Birds  of  a  feather  flock  together." 

It  was  n't  strange  that  the  Baptist  bird  and  the  Presby- 
terian bird  flocked  together  in  that  old  Barbadoes  store  ! 
They  had  two  feathers,  at  least,  strongly  marked  in  com- 
mon :  they  were  stanch  Calvinists,  and  they  were  great 
lovers  of  religions  liberty.  Pve  no  doubt  they  had  real 
cozy  times  together  in  those  days;  and  if,  as  some  Baptist 
historian  intimates,  the  Presbyterians  later  "  thrust  out  " 
the  Baptists,  why,  it  was  all  along  of  that  "  push  "  which 
every  church  ought  to  have!  And  it  was  a  glorious  thing 
for  you,  for  so  you  entered  upon  an  individual  history  most 
illustrious  and  beneficent.  Believe  me,  we  Presbyterians 
rejoice  in  your  abundant  prosperity,  in  your  steadfastness 
in  faith,  in  your  marked  missionary  zeal,  and  in  your 
loyalty  to  our  great  King  and  Saviour!  God  be  with  you 
in  fullest  measure  as  you  go  into  your  new  century! 

George  D.  Baker. 


349 


350  FIKS7'  BAPTIST  CHURCH. 

CHRIST  PROTESTANT   EPISCOPAL  CHURCH, 

PHILADELPHIA. 

I  would  be  wanting  in  every  feeling  of  Christian  sym- 
pathy if  I  did  not  feel  a  most  genuine  interest  in  the  happy 
event  you  are  engaged  in  commemorating.  Being  unavoid- 
ably denied  the  pleasure  of  being  with  you  in  person,  as 
so  kindly  invited,  I  can  not  content  myself  without  send- 
ing you  a  warm  personal  message.  For  many  a  year  your 
good  people  were  close  neighbors  of  my  venerable  parish. 
You  began  your  labors  in  the  far  past,  as  did  we,  and  may 
look  with  honest  pride  at  the  fruitage  of  the  ripe  years. 
So  far  as  I  have  ever  known,  the  relations  between  the  two 
congregations  were  always  kindly,  considerate,  and  charac- 
terized by  Christian  charity  and  the  most  cordial  regard. 
We,  on  our  part,  highly  value  this.     May  it  continue! 

In  sending  you  Christian  salutations  on  this  notable 
anniversary,  let  me  wish  God's  blessing  on  you  all  indi- 
vidually. 

C.  Ellis  Stevens, 

Rector. 


GLORIA  DEI   (OLD    SWEDES')   PROTESTANT 
EPISCOPAL  CHURCH, 


PHILADELPHIA. 


I  am  glad  to  stand  on  this  platform  to-night,  not  simply 
as  the  rector  for  thirty  years  past  of  Gloria  Dei  Church, 
whose  edifice,  as  your  pastor  has  just  told  us,  is  the  oldest 
in  this  city, — erected  in  1700, — but  I  stand  likewise  as  the 
representative  of  the  vestry  of  that  parish,  who  have  dele- 
gated me  this  evening  to  convey  to  you  our  most  true 
congratulations  at  this  Bi-centennial  Anniversary. 

At  a  stated  meeting  of  the  vestry   of  Gloria  Dei  (Old 


BI-CENTENNIAL    CELEBRATION.  351 

Swedes')  Protestant  Episcopal  Church,  held  December  5, 
1898,  the  following  preamble  and  resolutions  were  unani- 
mously adopted : 

Whereas,  We  are  informed  that  the  First  Baptist 
Church  of  Philadelphia  will  celebrate  this  week  its  Bi- 
centennial Anniversary  with  a  series  of  appropriate  ser- 
vices ;  and 

Whereas,  We  feel  that  both  our  rector  and  church 
have  been  highly  honored  by  an  invitation  to  take  part  in 
the  same;  therelore,  be  it 

Resolved,  That  we  most  heartily  congratulate  the  pas- 
tors, the  officers,  and  the  members  of  the  First  Baptist 
Church  upon  their  connection  with  a  church  that  for  two 
hundred  years  has  been  so  distinguished  for  its  succession 
of  godly  and  learned  ministers  and  the  devotion  and  self- 
sacrifice  of  its  people  in  spreading  abroad  the  gospel  of 
Christ  both  in  this  and  in  foreign  lands. 

Resolved,  That  we  still  further  most  heartily  congratu- 
late the  members  of  the  said  church  upon  the  favorable 
auspices  with  which  they  are  to  enter  upon  the  third  cen- 
tury of  their  organization,  and  that  our  best  wishes  are 
hereby  tendered  for  the  successful  accomplishment  of  all 
their  noble  plans  and  undertakings  to  extend  the  kingdom 
of  our  common  Lord  and  Master. 

Resolved,  That  these  resolutions  be  entered  upon  the 
minutes  of  the  vestry,  and  that  a  copy  of  the  same,  duly 
signed  by  the  rector,  as  president,  and  the  secretary,  and 
with  the  seal  of  the  corporation  attached,  be  presented  by 
our  rector  to  the  First  Baptist  Church  of  Philadelphia. 

|-         -1  Snyder  B.  Simes,  President. 

'-         -'  Alfred  Helmbold,  Jr.,  Secretary. 

With  your  consent  I  would  like  to  add  a  few  words.  I 
have  now  discharged  my  duty  as  the  rector  of  the  parish 
and  the  duty  assigned  to  me  by  the  vestry,  and  I  feel  that 
I  would  like  this  evening  to  pay  a  debt  of  gratitude  which 
I  feel  I  owe  to  the  Baptist  denomination  in  general,  and  to 
the  First  Baptist  Church  in  particular. 

Although  an  Episcopal  clergyman  of  some  thirty-three 


352  FJKST  BAPTIST  CHURCH. 

years'  standing,  and  yielding  to  neither  bishop  nor  priest  in 
my  devotion  to  the  church  at  whose  altar  I  have  always 
served,  yet,  at  the  same  time,  I  have  considerable  good 
honest  Baptist  blood  in  my  veins  ;  and  I  want  to  say  here 
that  I  am  proud  of  it.  I  would  that  I  had  more.  For  the 
more  I  recognize  the  scriptural  basis  and  the  power  of 
those  cardinal  Baptist  principles  of  the  absolute  supremacy 
of  the  Word  of  God,  and  the  responsibility  of  the  individual 
conscience  to  God  alone,  the  more  I  am  thankful  for  the 
Baptist  training  that  I  received.  For  to  go  back,  if  you 
will  allow  me,  some  years,  when  a  boy  my  Sunday-school 
days  were  principally  spent  in  the  old  Tabernacle  Baptist 
Church.  It  was  in  the  days  of  John  W.  Sexton,  Superin- 
tendent of  the  Sunday-school,  whose  blameless  life  was  a 
perpetual  benediction  to  the  school ;  and  I  was  associated 
in  those  days  with  such  men  as  Creswell,  Crosby,  Fair- 
lamb,  and  Mustin,  and  dear  old  Dr.  Clarke  went  in  and  out 
among  us,  bearing  the  message  of  the  gospel.  But  it  was 
in  the  First  Baptist  Church  that  I  think  the  most  powerful 
impression  was  ever  conveyed  to  my  mind  of  the  impor- 
tance of  the  gospel  of  our  Lord  and  Saviour  Jesus  Christ. 
For  it  was  in  the  baptistery  of  that  church,  at  Broad  and 
Arch  Streets,  that  my  grandfather  received  baptism  at  the 
hands  of  Dr.  Cuthbert;  and,  as  the  old  man  with  his  gray 
hairs  stood  in  the  water  and  gave  out  his  testimony  of  the 
efficacy  of  faith  in  Jesus  Christ,  as  a  young  man  it  made  an 
impression  upon  me  that  I  have  never  forgotten.  And,  speak- 
ing of  Dr.  Cuthbert,  how  well  I  remember  again  and  again 
listening  to  his  powerful  sermons  ;  how,  as  he  "  reasoned 
of  righteousness,  temperance,  and  of  judgment  to  come," 
like  Felix  of  old,  many  a  time  I  trembled  in  that  old  church. 
Only  last  night  I  heard  that  he  had  passed  to  his  reward 
above.  If  there  ever  was  a  man  who  was  attentive  to  the 
spiritual  welfare  of  his  fellow-men,  and  whose  life  exempli- 
fied the   power   of  that   gospel    he    preached,  it   was    Dr. 


BICENTENNIAL    CELEBRATION.  353 

Cuthbert.  And  therefore  I  say  to-night  that  I  feel  I  owe 
a  personal  debt  of  gratitude  to  the  First  Baptist  Church, 
which  I  am  glad,  after  these  many  years,  to  be  able  to  pay; 
not  that  I  was  unwilling  to  pay  it  in  years  gone  by,  but 
never  before  have  I  had  the  opportunity  to  pay  it ;  and, 
further,  I  esteem  it  a  great  privilege  not  only  to  be  with 
you  and  rejoice  in  this  Bi-centennial  Anniversary,  but,  in 
these  few  words,  to  endeavor  to  pay  the  debt  of  gratitude 
which  I  feel  I  owe  to  the  Baptist  denomination  generally, 
and  to  the  First  Baptist  Church  in  particular. 


THE    FRIENDS. 

As  a  member  of  one  of  the  smallest  sects  in  Christen- 
dom, though  perhaps  influential  to  a  degree  out  of  propor- 
tion to  its  diminutive  size,  it  gives  me  especial  pleasure  to 
extend  our  greeting  on  this  interesting  occasion.  Begin- 
ning the  history  of  Philadelphia  about  the  time  of  the 
founding  of  your  church,  with  nearly  one  hundred  per 
cent,  of  the  population,  the  Friends  are  now  probably  not 
one  per  cent.  Preferring  to  keep  their  leaven  concentrated 
and  intense,  and  to  bear  inflexible  testimony  to  truths 
sometimes  unpalatable,  they  have  had  to  take  the  conse- 
quences of  unpopularity  in  the  diminution  of  their  num- 
bers. Friends  and  Baptists  stood  side  by  side  in  suffering 
the  hot  fires  of  persecution  in  the  seventeenth  century  ; 
they  shared  in  a  primitive  simplicity  of  life  and  worship. 
But  with  a  dogmatism  and  uncompromising  tenacity  pecu- 
liarly their  own,  the  Friends  have  held  aloof  and  partici- 
pated but  little  in  the  fellowship  of  the  gospel  with  other 
denominations.  The  times  required  bold  testimony  and 
unflinching,  early  in  the  seventeenth  century;  and  George 
Fox  was  both  bold  and  unflinching.     I  think  it  was  your 


354  FIRST  BAPTIST  CHURCH. 

Spurgeon  who  related  that  once  when  an  admirer  praised 
George  Fox,  he  (Fox)  answered  him,  "  Beware  of  h}'poc- 
risy  and  a  rotten  heart."  This  was  the  kind  of  man  to 
Hft  up  a  standard  of  revolt  against  flattery,  against  form, 
against  spiritual  wickedness  in  high  places.  And  many  a 
time  he  was  cast  into  prison.  On  the  other  hand,  it  is 
said  that  the  last  martyr  burned  alive  for  his  religion 
in  England  was  Edw.  Wightman,  a  Baptist,  who  was 
burnt  at  Lichfield,  April  ii,  1612.  When  the  scene  of 
warfare  was  transferred  to  America,  and  Roger  Williams 
in  Rhode  Island,  and  William  Penn  in  Pennsylvania,  both 
bore  aloft  the  standard  of  liberty  of  conscience,  there  was 
not,  and  there  has  not  been  to  this  day,  the  same  need  for 
the  manner  of  Fox's  testimony,  which  was  rudely  sincere, 
and  adapted  to  the  atmosphere  of  his  era.  And  it  is  to  be 
feared  that  in  this  day  we  have  got  far  enough  away  from 
the  stern  honesty  which  cared  naught  for  "  man  whose 
breath  is  in  his  nostrils,"  and  sought  "  the  honor  which 
Cometh  from  God  only."  Friends,  from  a  protest  against 
all  forms  in  religion,  which  carried  them  into  antagonism 
to  the  rites  held  dear  by  most  Christian  sects, — the  Lord's 
Supper  and  water  baptism, — came  at  last  to  set  up  forms 
of  their  own  ;  forms  of  dress  and  of  language,  unscriptural 
forms,  which  they  worshiped  almost  as  much  as  the 
Anglican  and  Papist  their  wafer. 

But  there  is  no  sect  in  heaven  !  "  In  the  sweet  fields  of 
Eden,  on  the  other  side  of  Jordan,"  all  differences  are 
washed  away,  and  we  are  all  common  children  of  our 
Father.  There,  I  imagine,  these  theological  points,  which 
seem  of  such  importance  here,  will  completely  vanish  in 
the  glorious  and  shadowless  light  of  an  all-absorbing  love; 
in  which  powerful  and  irresistible  solvent  all  else  will  be 
assimilated.  We  have  it  here  in  part,  but  not  exactly  as  in 
that  wonderful  glory,  where  there  is  no  need  of  sun  and 
moon.     But  we  can  love  in  part ;  and  under  the  influence 


BI-CENTExYNIAL    CELEBRATION.  355 

of  that  feeling,  let  us  throw  the  broad  mantle  of  charity- 
over  all  differences  and  gloat  over  our  similarities.  There 
is  enough  of  common  ground  to  stand  upon  for  all  Chris- 
tian sects,  even  the  most  exclusive  and  pharisaical  (and  I 
fear  my  own  must  appear  the  most  so  of  all),  to  enjoy  the 
blessed  fellowship  of  the  gospel  together.  Nay,  even  more 
than  that ;  it  is  marvelous  how  the  crucible  of  fellow- 
feeling,  in  its  white  heat,  fluxes  all  the  religions  of  the 
earth  together. 

In  the  evolution  of  the  ultimate  perfection  with  a  measure 
of  which  God  is  blessing  mankind,  you  remember  how,  at 
the  Chicago  Congress  of  Religions,  all  could  unite  in  the 
wonderful  prayer  which  Christ  taught  His  Disciples,  per- 
fect in  its  simplicity  and  its  all-comprehensiveness.  It  is 
this  that  we  should  long  for;  a  Christ-like  simplicity  that 
is  robbed  of  all  the  excrescences  of  sectarianism,  all  the 
husks  of  theology,  and  melted  down  to  the  simple  "  truth 
as  it  is  in  Jesus."  I  fancy  there  is  a  strong  resemblance 
between  the  pure  and  simple  truth  of  heaven  and  the  state 
of  a  little  child.  There  is  no  cloud  of  theology  in  either 
place.  "  Heaven  lies  about  us  in  our  infancy."  And  so, 
however  much  we  admire  the  constancy  which  preserves 
pure  and  undefiled  through  two  centuries  in  one  congrega- 
tion the  worship  of  Roger  Williams,  and  which  in  the 
nineteenth  century  has  borne  such  splendid  fruits  in  the 
missionary  successes  of  Carey,  Judson,  and  Boardman,  our 
religious  evolution  is  carrying  us  back  to  those  simple 
axioms  of  the  gospel  which,  in  their  communal  and  unas- 
sailable clearness,  enable  us  all  to  stand  shoulder  to  shoulder 
and  heart  to  heart  in  the  golden  glory  of  mere  CJiristian 
love.     And  this  is  my  interpretation  of  this  occasion. 

Philip  C.  Garrett. 


356  FIRST  BAPTIST  CHURCH. 

BISHOP  C.  D.  FOSS,  METHODIST  EPISCOPAL  CHURCH. 

I  am  enough  of  a  cosmopolite  in  religious  matters  to 
take  great  satisfaction  in  the  progress  and  success  of  other 
churches  than  my  own,  and  it  would  give  me  great  pleasure, 
if  I  could  command  my  days,  to  accept  your  invitation  to 
the  reception  on  Tuesday  evening,  December  6th,  in  recog- 
nition and  honor  of  the  Bi-centennial  Anniversary  of  the 
First  Baptist  Church  in  this  city. 

I  regret  to  say  that  official  duties  on  that  day  will  require 
me  to  be  in  South  Carolina. 

Please  convey  to  the  pastor  and  members  of  the  church 
my  fraternal  greetings  and  the  assurances  of  my  best  wishes 
for  the  increasing  prosperity  and  success  of  one  of  the 
largest  and  most  evangelical  bodies  of  Christians  in  this 
country. 

PRESBYTERIAN  PUBLICATION  HOUSE, 
PHILADELPHIA. 

Let  me  congratulate  your  church  on  its  splendid  history. 
For  twenty-eight  years  I  have  been  in  Philadelphia  as  pas- 
tor and  editor,  and  have  known  of  the  work  of  the  First 
Church  during  all  these  years.  Your  pastor.  Dr.  Board- 
man,  has  been  one  of  my  personal  friends  ever  since  I  came 
as  a  boy  to  this  city.  He  did  a  noble  work,  and  his  name 
is  almost  as  dear  to  Presbyterian  people  as  to  Baptists. 
Your  present  pastor,  Dr.  Tupper,  we  all  recognize  as  one 
of  the  best  men  in  the  city  ;  just  the  man  to  lead  you  in  this 
new  era  of  your  history  upon  which  you  are  entering.  It 
is  my  earnest  hope  and  prayer  that  the  First  Church  in  its 
new  location  will  still  enshrine  all  that  has  been  sacred  and 
good  in  the  history  of  the  past,  and  at  the  same  time  enter 
upon  a  still  larger  field  of  usefulness. 

J.  R.  Miller,  £"^///'^/-. 


B I- CENTENNIAL    CELEBRATION.  357 


GREETINGS— FILIAL. 


ROXBOROUGH   BAPTIST  CHURCH, 

JAMES  W.  WILLMARTH,  D.D.,  LL.D.,  Pastor. 
{Organized  by  02(r  tneiiibers,  ijSg.) 

'♦The  Child  of  a  Century." 

Dear  Brother  Pastor  of  the  ChurcJi,  Brethren  and  Sisters 
of  the  First  Baptist  Church. — I  must  omit  all  sorts  of  com- 
pliments at  the  beginning  if  I  am  to  say  anything  in  the 
three  minutes  and  a  half. 

About  one  hundred  and  ten  years  ago  there  were  in  this 
city  two  Baptist  churches.  I  mean  by  this  city,  what  is 
this  city  now.  The  old  Pennepek  Church  had  sixty-six 
members,  and  the  Baptist  Church  of  Philadelphia  (now 
called  the  First  Baptist  Church)  had  104.  That  was  170 — 
two  churches,  two  pastors,  170  members.  What  has  God 
wrought  in  the  time  since  ! 

It  is  interesting  to  me,  and  rather  a  matter  of  pride,  to  be 
able  to  say  that  thirty  per  cent,  of  the  membership  of  the 
First  Baptist  Church  was  out  in  Roxborough  at  the  time 
our  church  was  organized.  They  used  to  come  from  a 
distance,  I  suppose,  of  seven  or  eight  miles.  There  were 
mud  and  slush,  and  it  was  a  good  deal  worse  journey  than 
to  go  over  to  New  York  as  we  now  fly  on  our  express 
trains.  And  they  took  pride  in  this.  They  organized  in 
Roxborough  with  thirty-two  members,  all  from  this  church. 
Before  I  leave  this  point  I  must  say  that  "  The  Child  of  a 
Century,"  as  it  is  put  in  the  program, — that  is,  a  child 
almost  a  hundred  and  ten  years  old, — did  not  have  a  young 
mother.  Even  so  long  ago  as  that  the  mother  was 
matured,  and  our  church,  I   think  I  may  say,  shows  no 


3S8  FIRST  BAPTIST  CHURCH. 

sign  of  decrepitude,  I  wish  it  were  more  earnest  and 
spiritual ;  so  does  every  pastor  of  his  church. 

We  have  some  460  members,  and  we  stand  as  we  did  at 
first;  we  believe  in  the  Bible  as  God  gave  it  to  us — in  its 
absolute  integrity  and  authority ;  in  all  the  old  doctrines  ; 
and  we  are  trying  to  maintain  the  standard,  and  I  hope  we 
shall  do  as  well  as  we  can. 

This  church,  I  believe,  has  frequently  had  long  pastor- 
ates. Dr.  Boardman  was  here  thirty  years  ;  we  can  not 
equal  that.  In  fifty-nine  years  we  have  had  three  pastor- 
ates, and  I  have  the  honor  to  be  the  third.  If  possible,  I 
mean  to  raise  the  standard. 

Accept  the  hearty  love  and  congratulations  of  Roxbor- 
ough  Baptist  Church  and  its  pastor,  and  our  best  wishes 
for  God's  blessing  upon  you  ;  and  that  you  and  we  and  all 
our  sister  churches  in  the  future  may  be  faithful  and  ear- 
nest and  godly  and  spiritual,  and  be  ready,  when  the  time 
shall  come  for  earthly  churches  to  cease,  to  stand  with  con- 
fidence before  the  Son  of  God  at  His  coming. 


FIRST  AFRICAN   BAPTIST  CHURCH, 

WILLIAM  A.  CREDITT,  Pastor. 
( Oi'oanized   by    our    jiienibers,    iSio. ) 

Brother  Pastor,  Brethren  and  Sisters.— Although,  we 
could  not  hope  to  encompass  within  the  three  and  a  half 
minutes  the  things  we  might  have  in  mind  to  say  to  you, 
we  would  say  that  we  congratulate  you  ;  and  yet  it  does 
not  become  us,  as  a  child  of  so  worthy  a  mother,  to  offer 
congratulations.  We  rather  say  we  are  in  hearty  accord, 
and  that  we  rejoice  with  our  mother  in  the  record  which 
she  has  made  during  these  many  years,  and  pray  for  better 


BI-CENTENNIAL    CELEBRATION.  359 

and  greater  prosperity  in  the  century  into  which  she  will 
now  enter. 

Quite  a  number  of  the  slaves  who  escaped  from  the  South 
settled  here  in  Philadelphia,  and,  fortunately  for  the  colored 
people  of  Philadelphia,  some  of  these  very  first  ones  became 
members  of  the  First  Baptist  Church.  During  those  early 
years  there  was  in  the  South  a  man  by  the  name  of  Bur- 
rows, who  felt  himself  called  upon  to  preach  the  gospel  of 
our  Saviour,  and  there  were  associated  with  him  certain 
other  Baptists,  who  were  anxious  that  their  pastor  might 
become  a  free  man.  The  master  of  this  man  said,  "  Why 
do  not  your  members  purchase  your  freedom?"  These 
people  decided,  if  possible,  to  purchase  the  freedom  of  this 
man,  and  told  him  to  go  to  the  Northern  cities  and  there 
present  his  claim,  and,  perchance,  he  might  secure  money 
enough  with  which  to  purchase  his  freedom.  Two  of  his 
people  bound  themselves  in  bondage  in  his  place  for  six 
months.  This  man,  Father  Burrows,  came  to  the  city  of 
Philadelphia,  and  in  a  short  time  sent  back  money  enough 
to  pay  for  his  own  redemption  from  slavery,  and  loosed 
those  who  had  become  bondsmen,  and  then  bade  them  to 
come  this  way  and  be  associated  with  him.  And  there 
came  several  of  those  members  and  joined  hands  with  those 
already  here  in  the  First  Baptist  Church,  and,  through 
your  kindness  and  generosity,  they  organized  the  First 
African  Baptist  Church  of  the  city  of  Philadelphia,  in  the 
year  18 10.  There  is  a  complete  history  written,  of  which 
we  are  very  proud.  During  eighty-eight  years  the  church 
has  had  four  pastors.  I  am  the  fifth  pastor,  and  have  been 
with  the  church  one  year.  During  these  years  the  church 
has  sent  out  ten  men  as  ministers  of  the  gospel.  We 
have  within  the  last  few  weeks  raised  ;^I200  and  swung 
the  old  church  free  from  all  indebtedness,  and  with  a  sur- 
plus have  started  upon  a  new  year. 

We  are  trying  to  hold  up  the  cause  of  our  Master  and 


36o  FIRST  BAPTIST  CHURCH. 

to  show  that  the  opportunities  that  have  been  ours  have 
not  been  wasted,  but  that  we  are  doing  everything  in  our 
power  to  advance  the  power  of  the  gospel  and  to  improve 
our  people  in  every  way  possible,  that  they  may  take  their 
stand  as  Christian  citizens. 

We  appreciate  this  opportunity  which  gives  us  the  pleas- 
ure of  being  with  you  and  to  enjoy  the  Bi-centennial,  and 
instead  of  congratulations,  as  I  said,  we  only  pray  that  God 
may  so  lead  you  that  you  may  go  on  in  your  progress  of 
good,  remembering  ever  to  scatter  abroad,  as  you  have 
done  in  the  past,  those  principles  of  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ. 
We  rejoice  with  our  mother,  and  rejoice  that  you  have  given 
us  the  opportunity  as  your  child. 


FIRST    BAPTIST    CHURCH,   CAMDEN,   N.  J., 

JOHN  W.  LYELL,  Pastor. 
(Oixauized  by  our  me»ibers,  iStS.) 

Our  desire  to  be  present  on  this  notable  occasion  was 
prompted  not  merely  by  our  high  regard  for  your  present 
and  late  pastor  and  for  the  many  members  of  the  church 
with  whom  we  have  the  pleasure  of  acquaintance,  but  by 
the  fact  that  the  church  in  Camden,  with  which  we  are  con- 
nected, claims  the  First  Church  in  Philadelphia  as  our  ven- 
erable and  beloved  mother.  On  February  5,  1818,  a  little 
more  than  eighty  years  ago,  the  First  Church  in  Camden 
was  organized  by  the  Rev.  Henry  Holcombe,  then  pastor 
of  the  First  Church  in  Philadelphia,  and  the  seven  con- 
stituent members  of  the  new  church  were  dismissed  from 
your  body  for  the  purpose  of  effecting  the  organization. 
It  would  have  seemed  specially  fitting,  therefore,  that  some 
representative  of  this  church  should  have  been  present  to 
offer  our  congratulations  and   express  our  best  wishes  to 


BICENTENNIAL    CELEBRATION.  361 

our  venerable  mother  on  this  anniversary  occasion.  Will 
you  kindly  accept  this  expression  of  our  good  will,  and  the 
assurance  of  our  prayers  that  God  will  richly  bless  and 
prosper  our  beloved  mother,  who  seems  to  grow  in  vigor 
as  she  grows  in  years  ?  May  the  third  century  of  her 
beneficent  life,  which  is  so  auspiciously  dawning,  far  out- 
shine in  glory  and  efficiency  the  two  whose  records  show 
so  much  of  glorious  fruitage. 


SOUTH   BROAD  STREET  BAPTIST   CHURCH, 

BENJ.  L.  HERR.  Pastor. 

{Organized  as  the  Boardinan  Mission,  iSCs.) 

"Our  Debt  and  How  we  Hope  to  Pay  It/' 

It  would  be  very  unfortunate,  dear  friends,  if  any  word 
of  mine  should  dissipate  in  anywise  the  emotions  which 
have  been  stirred  by  the  impressive  address  of  Dr.  Mabie. 
I  would  far  rather  prefer  being  silent  this  evening  after 
listening  to  that  inestimable  paper.  And  yet,  it  gives  me 
exceeding  pleasure  this  evening  to  express  to  the  mother 
church  the  greetings  of  that  which  was  once  the  Boardman 
Chapel. 

*  About  thirty-three  years  ago  there  was  in  this  city  the 
beginning  of  this  church  that  to-day  reciprocates  in  kindly 
greeting  all  that  helpfulness  and  love  extended  once  to 
her;  and  to-day,  as  an  organization  representing  some  250 
names,  with  a  property  worth  $100,000  without  a  single 
dollar  of  mortgage  indebtedness,  with  a  Sunday-school 
membership  of  about  five  hundred,  with  a  hope  as  strong 
as  the  future  possibilities,  she  expresses  to  the  mother 
organization  her  great  gratitude  for  the  material  and  spir- 
itual life    she  has    received.      She  rejoices  in  all  the  joy 


362  FIRST  BAPTIST    CHURCH. 

of  this  occasion  because  the  prosperity  of  this  church 
is  her  joy,  and  she  bids  this  beloved  church  God  speed 
with  all  the  accumulated  momentum  of  two  hundred  years 
of  Christian  life  and  being ;  and  men  may  be  so  bold  as  to 
predict  what  this  church  may  be  and  do  in  the  years  to 
come.  I  would  express  the  hope  that  under  its  present 
leadership  the  church  might  go  to  the  uppermost  round  of 
prosperity. 

I  may  express  in  a  word  our  indebtedness  to  the  church 
along  the  line  suggested  by  the  papers  read  this  evening. 
It  has  had  sympathy  in  years  gone  by  with  the  missionary 
gospel.  If  not  for  that  fact  we  perhaps  might  have  been 
with  those  who  never  appeared  in  the  light  of  evangelical 
day.  We  owe  a  debt  for  material  things  ;  but  greater,  far 
greater,  are  we  grateful  to-night  to  this  church  for  her  gift 
of  men,  received,  as  we  believe  they  were,  not  from  this 
church  only,  but  from  the  Lord.  We  would  mention  their 
names,  but  they  are  gone  into  the  glory  and  their  record 
is  on  high ;  and  in  paying  our  debt  we  are  going  to  try  to 
be  the  best  Christians,  the  best  Baptists,  we  know  how  to  be. 
We  are  going  to  try  to  magnify  our  office  and  so  to  live  and 
work  that  our  fame  will  be  known  from  the  City  Hall  to 
the  suburbs. 


BALTIMORE  AVENUE  BAPTIST  CHURCH, 

JOSEPH  A.  BENNETT,  Pastor. 
{Organized  by  our  late  member,  H.  L.  ll'ayland,  D.D.,  iSSi.) 

'*  Backward  and  Forward." 

Centuries  are  being  crowded  into  a  day;  the  history  of 
generations  is  being  told  in  an  hour ;  and  now  the  history 
of  a  church  for  eighteen  years  must  be  told  in  the  brief 
space  of  three  minutes.     Surely,  the  pendulum  must  swing 


BI-CENTENNIAL    CELEBRATION.  363 

very  rapidly  if  in  that  short  space  the  story  can  be 
told. 

The  swinging  to  and  fro  of  the  pendulum  reminds  me  of 
two  persons  :  first,  the  Son  of  God,  the  Saviour  of  the  world, 
with  His  human  side  and  the  Divine,  swinging  ever  in  com- 
passion between  earth  and  heaven ;  with  His  humanity 
touching  earth,  taking  upon  Himself  its  sorrows,  its  cares, 
and  the  trials,  and  then  swinging  back  to  the  great  white 
throne;  and  with  His  divinity  bearing  back  to  earth  the 
peace,  the  light,  the  joy,  and  strength  of  heaven.  Thus  ever 
swinging  between  the  need  of  earth  and  the  supply  of 
heaven. 

The  other  person  whom  the  to-and-fro  motion  reminds 
me  of  is  the  now  glorified  Wayland.  One  side  of  that  man 
meant  Baltimore  Avenue;  the  other  side  meant  the  old 
First  Church,  and,  like  a  pendulum,  he  was  ever  swinging 
backward  and  forward.  And  if  a  true  biography  of  Dr. 
Wayland  shall  be  written,  it  will  tell  the  exact  relation 
existing  between  these  two.  Now  he  swung  to  Baltimore 
Avenue,  with  a  heart  burdened  with  its  needs;  swung  back 
again  to  the  dear  church  and  told  the  story,  to  find  willing 
hands  stretched  out  to  remove  the  burden — the  need  on 
one  side,  the  supply  on  the  other;  the  pendulum  swinging 
backward  and  forward  for  eighteen  years,  and  then  slowly 
and  at  last  it  has  stayed,  and  the  link  between  us  has  been 
severed.  The  conduit  through  which  our  need  flowed,  and 
back  through  which  your  help  came,  has  been  removed. 
A  backward  look  shows  a  path  over  which  our  church  has 
struggled  over  many  an  upward  hill,  through  many  a  dark 
and  threatening  cloud  ;  but  every  hillside  reveals  your  help- 
ing hand,  and  every  dark  and  threatening  cloud  was  bright- 
ened with  your  helpful  smile.  A  forward  look  will  reveal 
a  pathway  over  which  we  must  move  with  renewed  effort 
and  strength.  Many  burdens,  many  crosses,  many  trials, 
many  conflicts,  dark  clouds,  will  linger  over  us,  and  shadows 


364  FIRST  BAPTIST  CHURCH. 

fall  across  our  pathway  ;  but  with  faith  in  God  and  the  old 
church  we  still  expect  to  feel  the  helping  hand  and  the 
loving  smile.  These  facts  kindle  our  hearts  with  a  flame 
of  love  and  gratitude  for  all  that  the  old  church  has  done 
for  its  youngest  child,  and  from  Baltimore  Avenue  to  the 
throne  of  God  there  will  ever  rise  the  incense  of  grateful 
hearts,  and  earnest  prayers  for  the  welfare  of  this  great  old 
church.  God  bless  it!  God  bless  it!  May  it  be  true  to 
its  God,  true  to  its  Christ,  true  to  all  the  sacred  memories 
and  all  the  holy  names  enthroned  in  this  holy  faith  ! 


THE  CHURCH  OF  THE  EVANGEL,  NARBERTH, 

HAROLD  KENNEDY,  Pastor. 
{Organized  as  "  TJie  Narberth  Mission"  iSgr.) 

**The  Evangel's  Message  to  the  Church  in  Philadelphia." 

Mr.  CJuiiruian,  Ladies  and  Gcntlonoi. — A  few  evenings 
ago  I  happened  to  find  myself,  as  we  sometimes  do,  at  a 
wedding,  and  in  company  with  the  two  pastors  of  this 
church.  Among  the  guests  was  my  diminutive  nephew, 
about  six  years  old,  who  was  standing  aside  with  an  expres- 
sion of  melancholy  that  would  make  his  fortune  as  Hamlet. 

I  asked  him  what  was  the  matter.  He  said  :  "  I  have 
been  trying  to  understand  how  it  was  that  I  was  not  at  my 
mother's  wedding  ;  I  am  sure  I  am  a  member  of  the  family 
and  ought  to  have  been  invited." 

We  are  surely  members  of  the  family,  but  we  were  not 
at  our  mother's  wedding.  Two  hundred  years  ago,  when 
the  cards  were  out  for  the  organization  of  a  new  family, 
ours  were  overlooked  ;  but  we  are  glad  we  are  here  to- 
night to  celebrate  this  anniversary. 

The  filial  relation  which  the  Church  of  the  Evangel  holds 
to  this  old  mother  church  is  a  pleasant  and  peculiar  one. 


BI-CENTENNIAL    CELEBRATION.  365 

The  mother  does  not  have  to  look  back  over  all  the  worries 
of  a  difficult  childhood.  Our  relation  is  most  filial,  and  yet 
one  free  from  charge  to  the  mother  church.  People  and 
pastor,  many  of  us,  had  been  children  of  the  old  First 
Church  in  the  years  gone  by,  but  had  been  away  from 
home  for  a  long  time.  Then  when  a  little  company  of  Bap- 
tists settled  down  in  Narberth,  they  gathered  together,  as 
Baptists  will,  and  organized  for  work  and  worship ;  and 
when  the  baby  was  born  they  referred  the  naming  to  Dr. 
Boardman,  who  happily  suggested  "The  Baptist  Mission 
of  the  Evangel,"  and  the  name  was  accepted.  Then  the 
baby  was  dressed  in  her  best  bib  and  tucker  of  a  neat  stone 
building,  and  was  brought  home  to  Broad  and  Arch  Streets 
to  claim  kinship  ;  not  as  a  foundling,  to  be  laid  on  the  door- 
step, but  to  receive  a  mother's  blessing  and  go  forth  and 
take  her  place  in  the  world.  And  so  the  relation  of  this 
young  church  to  the  mother  church  has  been  one  free  from 
care  and  full  of  affection. 

When  the  corner-stone  was  laid  for  the  chapel  of  the 
Boardman  Mission,  it  was  my  privilege  to  represent  the 
Infant  School  of  the  First  Church  in  a  few  remarks.  And 
now  I  come  again  to  represent  the  Primary  Department, 
and  to  offer  greetings  from  the  youngest  of  the  family. 
And  as  I  represent  the  infant,  it  is  fitting  that  I  should 
make  the  shortest  speech.  The  message  of  the  Evangel — 
glad  tidings — to  the  church  in  Philadelphia — brotherly 
love — could  be  nothing  other  than  that  of  tenderest  filial 
congratulations. 


FIRST  BAPTIST  CHURCH,  ST.  PAUL,  MINNESOTA. 

Grace  be  to   you   and  peace  from  God  our  P'ather,  and 
from  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ. 

I  should  count  it  an   exalted  privilege  were  I  permitted 


366  FIRST  BAPTIST  CHURCH. 

to  associate  with  you  in  the  celebration  of  the  bi-centenary 
of  your  remarkable  history.  I  recall  with  keen  pleasure 
my  relation  to  the  church  from  August,  i88i,  to  January, 
1884,  as  chapel  pastor  at  Immanuel. 

The  inspirations  born  of  the  unselfish  devotion  of  the 
church's  noble  corps  of  workers  who  toiled  there  during 
those  years  abide  with  me  still. 

Conspicuous  among  them,  with  tenderest  sympathy,  with 
broad  charity,  with  unceasing  loyalty  to  what  he  believed 
should  be  done  in  the  name  of  the  Master,  I  remember  our 
Superintendent,  Brother  James  S.  Moore,  to  whose  Christ- 
like philanthropy  I  offer  most  loving  tribute. 

I  most  heartily  congratulate  you  that  in  the  dawning  of 
the  new  century,  in  the  providence  of  God,  you  are  to  take 
so  conspicuous  a  place  in  the  evangelization  of  the  city. 

May  your  manifold  activities  so  completely  conform  to 
the  Divine  purpose  that  the  prophecy  spoken  aforetime 
shall  be  in  you  most  graciously  fulfilled — 

"  Behold  !   I  will  lay  thy  stones  with  fair  colors, 
And  thy  foundations  with  sapphires  ; 
And  I  will  make  thy  battlements  of  agates, 
And  thy  gates  of  carbuncles, 
And  all  thy  borders  of  pleasant  stones, 
Thou  shalt  call  thy  walls  Salvation 
And  thy  gates  Praise." 

H.  F.  Stillwell. 


ADDRESS : 

"American  Christianity  in  its  World  Relations."  Henry 
C.  Mabie,  D.D.,  of  Pjoston,  Home  Secretary  American 
Baptist  Missionary  Union,  which  originated  in  our  Church, 
in  1814,  as  the  "Triennial  Convention,"  and  of  which 
our  former  pastors,  William  Staughton,  D.D.,  and  his  suc- 
cessors, Henry  Holcombe,  D.D.,  and  George  Dana  Board- 
man,  D.D.,  LL.D.,  have  been  officers.     (See  p.  231.) 


FRIDAY   EVENING,    DECEMBER  9. 


THE  BIBLE  SCHOOLS, 


ISTORY  OF  Till:  BIBLH-SCIIOOL. 

By  JOHN  H.  SCOTT. 


The  story  of  our  Bible  school  can  not  be  written  in  cold 
words;  even  "thoughts  that  burn"  are  feeble  when  we 
enter  the  valley  of  dry  bones,  and  try  to  bring  back  again, 
for  a  while,  those  who  loved  their  Lord,  their  church,  and 
their  school  far  above  themselves  ;  who  gave  their  lives — 
active,  working,  sacrificing  lives — a  ransom  for  the  many; 
who  have  passed  from  labor  to  reward,  from  anticipation 
to  realization,  from  earth  to  heaven.  The  feeble  folk  have 
become  a  flock,  the  tiny  rivulet  a  mighty  stream. 

Listen  to  the  story  !  In  the  fall  of  1815  (see  foot-note, 
p.  84)  the  Providence  of  God  brought  under  the  notice  of 
Mrs.  Ann  Rhees  a  mother  and  three  children  who  resided 
in  her  vicinity,  whose  father  had  enlisted  in  the  State  ser- 
vice, leaving  them  destitute  except  for  his  half-pay.  There 
was  no  public  school  and  no  Sunday-school,  except  one  at 
Arch  and  Third  Streets,  in  the  Second  Presbyterian  Church, 
which  had  only  been  started  on  September  14,  1815,  and 
was  probably  unknown  to  her. 

It  occurred  to  Mrs.  Rhees  that  it  would  be  well  to  open 
a  school  in  the  church.  She  suggested  the  idea  to  two 
female  friends,  and  they  embarked  in  the  enterprise  together. 
Their  first  call  was  on  a  good  brother,  but  he  did  not  like 
the  idea  of  congregating  children  in  a  mass,  and  exhibiting 
them  on  the  Lord's  Day,  to  be  gazed  on  like  paupers.  This 
rather  discourged  them,  but  they  referred  the  matter  to 
their  beloved  pastor.  Dr.  Holcombe.  Said  he:  "Well, 
sisters,  you  can  but  try;  blossoms  are  sweet  and  beautiful 
24  369 


370  FIRST  BAPTIST  CHURCH. 

even  if  they  produce  no  fruit."  Thus  fortified,  they  called 
on  good  Deacon  Joseph  Keen,  who  encouraged  them,  met 
with  them,  and  opened  the  school  with  prayer  on  the  first 
and  a  number  of  later  meetings.  He  brought  with  him  a 
brother  recently  from  England,  who  addressed  them. 

Twenty  children,  boys  and  girls,  rich  and  poor,  had 
been  collected,  divided  into  classes,  first  taught  by  Ann 
Rhees,  Mrs.  Sarah  Ogden,  Miss  Emily  Ramage,  and  Miss 
Mary  Hallman.  The  family  who  gave  rise  to  these  efforts 
were  all  converted. 

This  is  the  preamble  to  the  Constitution  and  By-Laws 
they  adopted  in  1819: 

"Anxiously  solicitous  for  the  welfare  of  the  rising  gen- 
eration, and  willing  to  become  their  servants  for  Christ's 
sake,  a  number  of  persons  in  connection  with  the  First 
Baptist  Church  in  Philadelphia,  organized  this  Sunday- 
school  with  the  design  of  instructing  the  children  in  the 
first  principles  of  English  education  and  endeavor  with  a 
divine  blessing  to  impress  on  their  young  and  tender  minds 
the  important  truths  of  the  gospel,  by  teaching  them  to 
commit  to  memory  the  Bible,  Hymns,  and  the  Catechism." 

They  met  an  hour  and  a  half  in  the  morning  and  an 
hour  in  the  afternoon.  Among  other  of  their  rules  was 
one  that  the  scholars  must  attend  the  church  service;  and 
that  no  coiwcrsation  be  allowed  between  teachers,  superin- 
tendent, and  officers,  unless  indispensable  during  school 
hours. 

Their  sessions  were  held  in  Lagrange  Place.  The  boys 
and  girls  were  separate  ;  they  had  not  learned  the  fact  that 
the  association  of  two  good  things  makes  both  better. 

The  first  superintendent  was  James  M.  Bird,  assisted  by 
the  beautiful  group  of  men  and  women  among  whom  were 
ancestors  of  a  number  of  our  present  members.  And  so 
the  work  was  started.  The  records  of  heaven  alone  can 
tell  the  good  that  has  been  done. 


BI-CENTENNIAL    CELEBRATION.  371 

In  1822  there  were  69  boys  and  71  girls.  Attendance 
was  from  40  to  55  boys  and  from  55  to  65  girls.  Only 
about  double  the  present  record  of  one  class. 

These  good  people  were  strong  on  Bible  memorizing. 
These  few  boys  memorized  10,012  verses  and  the  girls 
10,682  verses  during  the  year,  besides  hymns  and  cate- 
chism. 

They  were  divided,  about  1825,  into  four  divisions: 

First.  Those  who  read  the  Bible  well. 

Second.  Those  who  read  the  Bible  indifferently. 

Third.  Those  who  read  words  of  less  than  three  syllables. 

Fourth.  Those  who  say  the  alphabet. 

There  were  no  Bible  classes. 
These  were  the  rewards : 

One  blue  ticket  for  being  early. 
"        "         "       "    five  verses  of  Scripture. 

"         "       "    good  behavior. 
"        "         "       "    remembering  the  text. 
"        "         "       "    going  to  meeting. 

They  were  required  to  give  back  one  blue  for  non- 
attendance.  Five  blue  tickets  equaled  one  red.  Twenty 
red,  one  premium:  value,  ten  cents.  So  if  a  scholar  came 
every  Sunday  for  two  years  he  got  ten  cents  !  Two  car- 
fares, but  no  cars. 

From  1815  to  1824  Dr.  Holcombe  was  pastor.  He  was 
succeeded  by  Dr.  Brantly.  These  godly  men  took  great 
interest  in  the  school,  offering  rewards,  encouraging  teach- 
ers and  scholars,  and  being  present  at  almost  every  session  ; 
but  not  controlling  its  affairs,  which  were  under  an  organi- 
zation called  the  Sunday-school  Society,  which  was  distinct 
from  the  officers  and  teachers  (though  some  of  these  were 
members  of  it).  It  consisted  of  president,  vice-president, 
secretary,  treasurer,  and  managers,  and  these  selected  the 
officers  of  the  school — superintendents,  assistants,  librari- 
ans, etc. 


372  FIRST  BAPTIST  CHURCH. 

The  Society  continued  from  1819  to  October,  1868, 
within  the  memory  of  those  now  in  the  school,  when  it 
was  discontinued. 

By  1827  the  school  had  increased  to  107  boys  and  144 
girls,  and  their  voracious  appetite  for  memorizing  Scripture 
had  to  be  checked,  so  that  it  was  voted  that  no  scholar  be 
allowed  to  recite  over  twenty-five  verses  at  any  one  lesson. 

In  1827  the  library  was  established.  The  books  were 
not  varied,  as  at  present;  a  novel  was  abhorred,  and  the 
stories  of  good  boys  and  girls  who  died  young,  were  the 
literary  pabulum  of  the  younger,  while  the  wholesome, 
up-building  lives  of  good  men  and  women  were  read  by 
the  older.  Twenty-five  cents  was  demanded  and,  we  fear, 
collected  from  the  scholars  as  a  membership  fee. 

In  this  year  also  a  colored  (black)  class  was  formed, 
restricted,  however,  to  members  of  the  church  and  congre- 
gation and  those  who  resided  in  families  of  the  same. 
Mary  Hallman  and  Miss  Burr  were  the  teachers. 

Let  us  tarry  a  moment  to  see  who  were  the  men  and 
women  moving  the  works. 

The  superintendents  of  the  main  school  were: 

James  M.  Bird,  1815  to  1821. 

George  1.  Miles  seems  to  have  followed  him  until  1823. 

William  Ford,  from  1823  to  April  10,  1827. 

Joseph  Keen,  from  April  10,  1827,  to  April  26,  1830. 

With  them  were  associated  godly  women  not  a  few. 
Mrs.  Ann  Rhees,  the  founder,  Susan  Ingels,  Susan  B.  Keen, 
Hetty  Bruce,  superintendents  of  girls'  school  from  1826 
to  1852 — twenty-six  years;  Mary  Hallman,  Elizabeth  Tay- 
lor (Mrs.  Moore).  And  of  men  :  Joshua  Walraven,  Joseph 
W.  Jones  (secretary  for  so  many  years),  William  Van  Aken, 
Benjamin  R.  Loxley.  And  of  the  scholars,  one  is  still 
with  us,  George  McDermond,  who  joined  in  1821,  seventy- 
seven  years  ago ! 

A  branch  school  was  started  at  Second  and  Vine,  under 


BICENTENNIAL    CELEBRATION.  373 

care  of  G.  Washington  Reed,  though  there  was  some 
objection  to  it.  This  afterward  was  removed  to  Vine  and 
Fourth  Streets,  and  kept  up  till  in  1830.  A  branch  school 
was  also  established,  in  November,  1832,  on  Spruce  Street 
near  the  baptisterion  on  the  Schuylkill,  with  ninety-eight 
scholars. 

In  this  year  also  was  formed  the  Sunday-school  Burman 
Tract  Society,  whose  managers  were  David  Weatherly, 
Mary  Hallman,  Benjamin  R.  Loxley. 

Our  superintendents  during  these  years  were  Benjamin 
R.  Loxley,  from  April  26,  1830,  to  1832;  John  Loxley 
Rhees,  son  of  the  founder;  John  Hance,  George  F.  Seitz. 
George  W.  Reed  was  superintendent  up  to  1843. 

\w  1842  there  were  what  was  called  five  schools:  Nos.  I 
and  2,  of  which  Hetty  Bruce  and  George  W.  Reed  were 
superintendents;  No.  3,  the  Schuylkill  branch,  with  Park 
H.  Cassiday  as  superintendent ;  No.  4,  the  infant  school,  of 
which  H.  Rigdon  was  superintendent;  No.  5,  Vine  Street, 
below  Second  Street,  A.  Semple,  superintendent. 

In  1843  Standish  F.  Hansell  was  superintendent. 

The  year  1844  was  marked  by  the  advent  of  the  Sunday- 
school  excursion  and  a  lecture  on  astronomy. 

The  family  and  familiar  names  of  Easby,  Hansell,  Sed- 
dinger,  Wattson,  Morgan,  and  Keen  appear  in  great  activity 
during  these  years,  from  1835  on. 

In  1844  the  first  Bible  class  was  formed.  And  this  is 
the  way  they  talked  about  it : 

"  Whereas  the  Managers  of  the  Sabbath  School  Society 
of  this  Church  having  viewed  with  sincere  regret  that  a 
number  of  the  young  members  of  the  Church,  who  while 
they  should  be  glorifying  the  Saviour,  give  sad  evidence 
that  they  have  need  that  some  one  should  teach  them  ; 
And  whereas  great  difficulty  is  experienced  in  collecting 
them  into  the  Sabbath  School  as  they  are  beyond  the 
usual  age  for  scholars  in  Sabbath  School. 

"  Therefore,  Resolved,  That  a  committee  be  appointed  to 


374  I-'IRST  BAPriST  CHURCH. 

wait  on  the  Pastor  to  solicit  his  cooperation  in  organizing 
a  Bible  Class.  Thos.  Wattson  and  John  A.  Gendell, 
were  appointed  the  committee." 

The  Bible  class  seems  to  have  met  with  only  moderate 
success.  The  attendance  during  these  years  seems  to  have 
been,  in  all  the  schools,  not  much  over  300,  of  which  the 
main  school  had  about  175. 

In  1844  Thomas  Wattson  was  elected  superintendent 
of  school  No.  2  ;  and  in  1845  ^'^^  No.  5  branch,  at  Fourth 
and  Vine  Streets,  was  consolidated  with  the  main  school, 
and  George  W.  Reed  elected  superintendent. 

In  April,  1846,  John  A.  Gendell  was  elected  superin- 
tendent of  the  main  school.  The  average  attendance  re- 
mained about  the  same.  The  Schuylkill  branch  had  only 
forty-eight.  These  were  the  days  of  lack  of  interest  and 
lack  of  heart. 

In  1848  I.  H.  O'Harra  began  teaching,  and  John  D. 
Tustin  taught  the  female  Bible  class  ;  while  Hetty  Bruce, 
John  A.  Gendell,  and  W.  Seddinger,  as  superintendents  of 
the  three  schools,  led  the  van. 

In  October,  1849,  the  anniversary  of  the  school  was 
held.  It  was  during  this  year  that  Mary  Weatherly,  the 
indirect  founder  of  the  Baptist  Orphanage,  became  promi- 
nent. During  this  year  the  library  was  not  forgotten.  It 
seems  to  have  formed  an  important  part  of  the  school. 

The  collections  were  not  large — $68.25  i'^  1846,  and 
this  seems  to  have  been  the  average  amount  for  several 
years. 

In  March,  1853,  John  A.  Gendell  resigned  as  superin- 
tendent. The  receipts  had  run  up  to  $294,  yet  these  seem 
to  be  the  years  of  depression.  "  There  never  was  a  time 
within  fifteen  years,"  says  one  report,  "  when  the  school  was 
so  thinly  attended.  If  it  goes  on  decreasing  as  it  has,  it 
will  become  almost  extinct."  The  attendance  averaged 
about  sixty-three.     There  was  a  hiatus  in  the  superinten- 


Bl-CENTENXIAL    CELEBRATION.  375 

dency  from   March  to  September,  1853,  when   Edwin   Hall 
was  elected,  and  served  until  May,  1856. 

In  1853  the  time  of  the  annual  meeting  had  been 
changed  to  November  23d. 

On  March  14,  1854,  the  Schuylkill  Branch  or  Mission, 
on  Spruce  Street,  was  disbanded.  The  rougher  element 
seemed  to  have  gotten  in  and  demoralized  the  school ; 
and  the  place  of  baptism  near  there  had  been  invaded  some 
years  before  by  commerce  in  the  shape  of  a  wharf. 

In  1854  there  was  another  progressive  move:  the  male 
and  female  departments  were  united.  The  wisdom  of  the 
movement  was  at  once  shown,  for  the  attendance  jumped 
to  100. 

These  were  the  days  of  scant  Bible  school  literature. 
The  great  intellects  of  the  world  were  not  then  writing 
articles  and  preparing  lessons  for  the  comparatively  feeble 
Sunday-school.  The  "  Youth's  Penny  Gazette  "  or  any  old 
paper  was  good  enough; — times  have  changed. 

In  April,  1856,  the  new  home  at  Broad  and  Arch 
Streets  was  finished,  and  the  church  and  school  re- 
moved; but  the  school  was  still  of  minor  importance,  for 
the  records  say  that,  in  consequence  of  there  being  three 
services  on  the  day  of  consecration,  with  considerable  in- 
terest and  excitement  on  that  day,  it  is  recommended  that 
we  meet  morning  and  afternoon,  with  a  short  session,  and 
close.  The  last  service  in  Lagrange  Place  was  held  the 
third  Sunday  of  April,  1 856;  the  last  service  in  Broad  and 
Arch  Street  church,  the  third  Sunday  of  April,  1898 — forty- 
two  years. 

The  now  veteran  and  all-round  church-worker,  Benjamin 
R.  Loxley,  who  had  been  superintendent  twenty-six  years 
before,  was  again  elected,  and  served  eight  years — from 
1856  to  1864. 

The  church  had  still  a  warm  spot  for  old  Lagrange  Place, 
for  they  opened  there  a  branch  (it  was  always   called   a 


376  FIRST  BAPTIST  CHURCH. 

"  branch  school,"  not  a  "  mission  school  ")  in  September, 
1856,  with  forty-two  pupils,  and  Superintendents  Loxley 
and  Hall  were  appointed  a  committee  to  take  charge  of 
the  same. 

I  am  now  getting  away  from  ancient  history,  where  the 
memory  of  man  runneth  not  to  the  contrary,  into  the  days 
made  interesting  by  the  brethren  who  are  yet  with  us,  if 
they  are  not  too  chary  of  admitting  their  ages. 

Here  begins  the  era  of  prosperity.  Collections,  $535  ; 
scholars,  over  two  hundred  and  fifty;  the  working  days  of 
the  well-known  veterans,  Thos.  Wattson,  Standish  F.  Han- 
sell,  Louis  Y.  Walraven,  Wm.  A.  Levering  (still  young  and 
hearty),  Edwin  Hall,  Washington  Butcher,  S.  W.  Hopper, 
Joseph  Page,  Benj.  Bullock,  and  C.  H.  Auner. 

They  were  not  yet  educated  up  to  festivals,  for  in  1857 
it  was  resolved  that  "  It  is  inexpedient  to  have  a  festival." 

In  1858  the  annual  report  showed  an  addition  of  138 
scholars  and  loss  of  1 00.  There  were  17  conversions;  net 
number,  244,  not  including  the  infant  school;  ;$256  col- 
lected; and  1200  volumes  in  the  library.  The  branch 
school  was  also  flourishing.  A  melodeon — apparently 
the  first  musical  instrument — came  into  the  school  in 
1858. 

In  1859  the  school  went  on  an  excursion — 106  adults 
and  171  minors  ;  and  they  must  have  had  a  jolly  good  time. 
May  be  some  of  those  present  were  there — only  forty  years 
ago!  Judge  W.  B.  Hanna,  B.  R.  Loxley,  and  Theo.  T. 
Johnson  were  the  committee.    Where  did  they  go? 

In  i860  a  prize  was  offered  for  bringing  in  scholars. 

In  1861  Wm.  A.  Levering  was  elected  superintendent  of 
the  Lagrange  Place  School. 

In  May,  1862,  there  was  a  Sunday-school  Convention, 
at  which  our  school  was  largely  in  evidence,  both  in  the 
literary  department  and  entertainment  of  delegates.  In  the 
same  year,  as  though  to  recuperate,  they  went  on  an  excur- 


BI-CENTENNIAL    CELEBRATION.  377 

sion  to  the  grounds  of  the  Institution  for  Feeble-minded 
Children  !     The  branch  school  was  disbanded  in  this  year. 

In  1863  one  session  was  advocated  but  not  adopted. 
The  missionary  work  was  well  sustained.  The  Grand 
Ligne  Mission  was  aided  for  many  years,  and  a  missionary 
or  native  preacher  was  supported  in  Burma,  and  other 
fields  were  not  neglected.  The  largest  attendance  this 
year  seems  to  have  been  154.     Number  in  the  school,  218. 

This  year  the  whole  school  seems  to  have  resolved  itself 
into  a  missionary  society,  each  class  taking  a  name.  I 
wonder  if  you  remember  them — the  Mite  Gatherers,  Buds 
of  Promise,  Rose  of  Sharon,  Banner  of  Love,  Young 
Reapers,  Missionary  Monitor,  Emily  Judson,  Morning 
Star,  John  Bunyan,  Busy  Bees,  etc. 

In  1864  Benj.  R.  Loxley  resigned  as  superintendent, 
and  Edwin  Hall  was  elected  1864  to  1869,  with  Wm.  M. 
Wilson  as  assistant  superintendent.  At  this  time  the  en- 
rolled scholars  numbered  225,  with  an  attendance  of  about 
125.  This  year  ;$iooo  was  collected  for  the  Missionary 
Union. 

On  October  26,  1865,  was  held  the  Jubilee  Semi- 
centennial, when  a  historical  sketch  was  read  by  Judge 
William  B.  Hanna.  Of  the  forty-eight  officers  and  teachers 
then  in  the  school,  only  Wm.  A.  Levering  and  Miss  Eliza- 
beth Brooks  still  remain  active  members  of  the  school.  A 
Jubilee  Hymn,  composed  by  Miss  R.  A.  Rhees,  grand- 
daughter of  one  of  the  founders,  was  read. 

It  was  in  October  of  this  year  that  the  Boardman  Mission, 
now  the  South  Broad  Street  Baptist  Church,  was  founded, 
and  this  alone  would  be  glory  and  monument  sufficient  for 
our  dear  old  school. 

In  1866  the  Uniform  System  of  Lessons  was  adopted 
by  the  school,  and  in  1867  one  session.  At  this  time  the 
school  numbered  38  teachers  and  271  scholars,  with  1 800 
volumes  in  the  library. 


378  FIRST  BAPTIST  CHURCH. 

In  1868,  February  i6th,  a  devoted  band,  under  the  super- 
intendence of  William  E.  Burke,  founded  our  Immanuel 
Mission,  whose  good  works  and  efforts  only  the  heavenly 
records  will  show. 

In  October,  1868,  the  Sunday-school  Society,  which  had 
been  kept  up  as  a  separate  organization,  seems  to  have 
disbanded,  and  the  teachers  for  the  first  time  elected  their 
own  officers. 

In  1869  Brother  M.  Closkey  and  his  Chinese  puzzles, 
900  of  which  he  had  on  hand,  are  worthy  of  mention. 
What  were  they  ?  This  year  Edwin  Hall,  on  his  retire- 
ment, gave  a  supper  in  the  church. 

Teachers' meetings  were  held  during  the  fall  of  1869, 
the  pastor,  Dr.  Boardman,  being  present.  At  that  time 
helps  for  Bible  study  were  few,  and  teachers  had  not 
learned  the  fact  that  the  Bible  was  its  own  best  interpreter, 
so  that  Dr.  Boardman's  keen  analysis  of  the  lessons  was 
exceedingly  helpful. 

The  Boardman  Mission  Chapel,  now  the  South  Broad 
Street  Baptist  Church,  was  furnished  this  year,  at  a  cost  of 
$^2$,  by  the  teachers,  Messrs.  S.  F.  Hansell,  Levering, 
Keen,  and  Wilson  being  very  helpful  in  this  matter. 

In  October,  1869,  the  annual  report  showed  expenses 
paid,  i^i  155  ;  benevolent  contributions,  S1601.  S.  F.  Han- 
sell was  elected  superintendent  of  the  Boardman  Mission, 
W.  E.  Burke  of  the  Immanuel  Mission,  Dr.  W.  W.  Keen 
of  the  main  school.  The  literature  at  this  time  was  chiefly 
"The  Young  Reaper." 

In  the  winter  of  1 870  the  lot  at  Twenty-third  and  Sum- 
mer Streets,  60  by  48,  was  purchased  for  the  Immanuel 
Mission  at  $4  a  foot — about  $4000;  and  in  1870  James  S. 
Moore  was  elected  its  superintendent.  A  leader  of  music 
was  also  engaged  at  $3  a  week. 

1871. — The  school  at  this  time  had  a  wonderful  set  of 
working  teachers ;  but  the  attendance  was  somewhat  dis- 


BI-CENTENNIAL    CELEBRATION.  379 

couraging;  yet  festivals,  anniversaries,  and  mission  work 
were  pushed  forward,  and  many  souls  were  brought  to  the 
Saviour. 

1872. — In  January  of  this  year  each  of  the  three  schools 
became  independent  bodies,  separate  in  their  organization. 

1874  to  1877. — "Debts  all  paid"  is  the  entry  I  find  in 
1874.  Of  course,  this  did  not  mean  the  debt  of  service, 
which  was  continuous. 

Allibone's  "  Dictionary  of  Authors  "  was  presented  to 
Dr.  Boardman  in  1877. 

During  these  years  the  teachers  embrace  the  names  of 
Seddinger,  Moore,  Brooks,  Langton,  Bussier,  Hopper, 
Dean,  Auner,  O'Harra,  Harris,  Forepaugh,  Levering, 
Wright,  Inglis,  Walraven,  Wilson,  Hanna,  Farley, 
Schmoele.     How  many  are  still  with  us  ? 

1876  to  1884. — During  these  years  our  school  continued 
on  its  way,  working  quietly  and  successfully,  adding  con- 
tinually from  its  numbers  to  the  church  "  of  such  as  were 
being  saved."  The  membership  was  well  kept  up.  Our 
well-known  and  most  faithful  superintendent,  Deacon  T.  S. 
Scott,  put  all  his  energy  into  the  work,  and,  assisted  by 
able  and  willing  teachers,  great  good  was  done.  The  rooms 
were  altered  and  better  accommodations  given. 

Nor  should  our  primary  department,  then  known  as  the 
infant  school,  be  forgotten.  Mrs.  Kennedy,  Miss  Brooks, 
Mrs.  Spencer,  working  always  faithfully,  earnestly,  and 
kindly — how  lovingly  do  many  of  the  scholars  still  cherish 
their  words  and  labors  ! 

The  Centennial  was  celebrated  by  the  school  on  Sunday- 
school  day,  June  23,  1876. 

In  October,  1877,  Brother  Wm.  M.  Wilson  was  elected 
superintendent,  and  took  up  the  work  with  his  usual 
energy,  with  magic  lantern  exhibitions,  excursions,  con- 
certs, and  even  a  visit  to  the  House  of  Refuge. 

The  alterations  to  the   school-room  were  completed  in 


38o  FIRST  BAPTIST  CHURCH. 

1878.     Our  anniversary  celebration  was  changed  to  May, 
in  1 88 1. 

Bible  class  28,  under  the  charge  of  T.  Seymour  Scott, 
was  during  these  years  in  a  most  flourishing  condition. 
Many  of  our  most  active  workers  came  from  its  ranks.  Its 
yearly  reports  were  full  of  interest. 

In  1884  our  present  Executive  Committee  was  estab- 
lished, whose  valuable  efforts  have  since  then  relieved 
our  superintendents  of  much  care,  and  devised  such  ways 
and  means  that  a  sufficient,  if  not  abundant,  supply  of 
funds  has  always  been  available  for  the  school's  uses  and 
needs. 

In  October,  1888,  Mr.  William  M.  Wilson,  after  eleven 
years  of  faithful  service,  resigned  the  office,  which  was  not 
filled  until  February,  1889,  when  Deacon  William  A. 
Levering  was  elected. 

The  school  participated  largely  in  the  Jubilee  exercises 
held  on  our  pastor's  twenty-fifth  anniversary  among  us,  on 
Sunday,  May  5,  1889. 

In  October,  1889,  a  new  Sunday-school  Society  was 
formed,  differing  from  the  ancient  one  in  the  fact  that  its 
membership  was  limited  to  the  pastor  of  the  church  and 
the  officers,  teachers,  and  librarians  of  the  school.  Our 
Baltimore  Avenue  Mission  was  accepted  in  1888,  under  the 
direction  of  Dr.  Wayland. 

In  January,  189 1,  William  A.  Levering  declined  re- 
election as  superintendent,  and  Dr.  Howard  B.  Martin  was 
chosen.  During  this  period  we  lost  a  number  of  valuable 
members,  and  our  school  seemed  to  decline  in  interest  and 
work,  but  individual  efforts  were  none  the  less  continuous 
and  much  good  accomplished. 

In  October,  1892,  Dr.  Martin  resigned,  and  Ernest  L. 
Tustin  was  elected  superintendent,  an  office  which  he  has 
filled  with  so  much  acceptance  and  ability,  and  which  he 
still  holds. 


BICENTENNIAL    CELEBRATION.  381 

In    1894  we  note  with  sorrow  the  death  of  Mrs.  Eh"za- 
beth  VV.  Moore,  one  of  the  school's  constituent  members. 

Dr.  William  W.  Kken  was  superintendent  from  1869  to  1870 
H.  H.  Kimball  "  "  "      1870  to  1872 

T.  B.  Langton  "  "  "      1872  to  1875 

T.  Seymour  Scott  "  "  "      1875  to  1877 

Wm.  W.  Wilson  "  "  "       1877  to  1888 

Many  of  us  served  from  October,  1888,  to  February  10, 
1889. 

W.  A.  Levering  served  from  February  10,  1889,  to  January,  1891. 

Dr.  Howard  B.  Martin,  January,  1891,  to  October,  1892. 

E.  L.  TusTiN,  since  November  20,  1892,  with 

Benjamin  Githens  and  D.  A.  Hunter  (associate),  April  25,  1895. 


BETH   EDEN  BIBLE  SCHOOL. 

Bv  JOHN  H.  SCOTT. 

How  lovingly  would  I  linger  a  while  on  the  dear  Beth 
Eden  School,  did  time  permit,  as  I  look  into  the  faces  of 
these  my  brethren,  who,  over  a  quarter  of  a  century  ago 
(January  26,  1870),  met  together  to  consider  the  practica- 
bility of  a  Sunday-school,  and  who,  for  all  these  years, 
have  worked  unceasingly  and  unsparingly  in  the  cause. 
Behold,  their  labors  are  written  on  the  hearts  of  the  living 
and  the  dead !  Their  spiritual  children  will  rise  up  and 
call  them  blessed,  and  eternity  only  will  reveal  the  extent 
of  the  work.  Fellow-members  and  yet  workers  in  the 
same  old  field  are  they.  Here  are  some  of  the  names  : 
Githens,  Hunter,  Dukes,  Macaltioner,  William  B.  Knowles, 
Crowley,  J.  R.  Speir,  Charles  T.  Miller,  A.  D.  Carroll, 
Craven,  Way,  Leach,  Turner,  Geyer,  Bucknell,  and  Shum- 
way  of  sainted  memory. 

Success  followed  their  efforts.  Dr.  J.  Wheaton  Smith 
was  the  first  superintendent  and  Benjamin  Githens  assist- 


382  FIN  ST  BAPTIST  CHURCH. 

ant  superintendent.  They  were  always  generous.  I  sup- 
pose few  bodies  of  equal  size  ever  gave  more  liberally.  I 
find  Library  Fund,  Fellowship  Church,  Macedonian  Mis- 
sion, Foreign  and  Home  Mission,  all  most  bountifully 
remembered. 

October,  1871,  J.Granville  Leach  was  elected  superin- 
tendent, and  served  until  September,  1875.  D.  A.  tlunter 
served  from  October,  1875,  until  October,  1879,  Geo.  Byron 
Morse  was  elected  April,  1880.  Then  the  calamity  !  Early 
in  1 88 1,  the  great  fire  that  destroyed  our  most  beautiful 
edifice  and  left  us  homeless.  We  worshiped,  and  held  the 
Bible  school  in  Dr.  Wiley's  church,  over  the  way.  Sister 
churches  were  helpful.  Gethsemane  alone  raised  $1000  for 
us,  and  still  the  work  for  God  went  on.  We  entered  the 
new  edifice  in  the  fall  of  1882. 

The  financial  strain  was  heavy  for  refurnishing,  new 
library,  new  books  ;  but  missions  were  never  neglected. 
D.  A.  Hunter  was  again  elected  superintendent,  with  Benj. 
Githens,  in  October,  1884,  and  continued  until  the  consoli- 
dation into  the  one  First  Church,  bringing  us  back  to  the 
church  of  our  own  fathers  and  mothers. 

I  find  in  these  years  the  workers  to  have  been  so  many 
that  it  is  impossible  to  name  all  :  but  added  to  the  list 
already  mentioned  there  were  :  Miss  Mila  Smith,  Miss 
Robinson,  Miss  Dawson,  Miss  Brown,  now  Mrs.  Michener, 
Mrs.  Bucknell,  Mrs.  Bradley,  Miss  Wallace,  Miss  Shermer, 
Messrs.  Hagen,  Morrison,  Walter  Shumway,  Ashworth, 
Fullaway,  etc. 

In  April,  1895,  occurred  the  happy  consolidation  of  our 
school  with  that  of  Beth  Eden,  when,  with  the  reelection 
of  Mr.  Tustin  as  superintendent,  and  Mr.  B.  O.  Loxley  as 
assistant,  there  were  also  elected  our  present  most  efficient 
associates,  Benjamin  Githens  and  D.  A.  Hunter.  During 
this  year  we  also  had  a  large  accession  from  the  Tabernacle 
School,  as   their   removal   to  West   Philadelphia   made  it 


BI-CENTENNIAL    CELEBRATION.  383 

most  inconvenient  for   many  to   go  with   them.     Earnest 
Christian  fellow-laborers  are  they  ! 

And  now,  with  our  primary  department  so  skilfully  led 
by  Mrs.  Tupper,  our  Chinese  department  by  Mrs.  T.  Sey- 
mour Scott,  our  fine  Bible  Classes,  our  large  attendance,  and 
our  prospects  for  increased  service,  we  enter  on  our  third 
century  with  hope,  love,  encouragement,  and  enthusiasm. 


THE  CHINESE  DEPARTMENT  OF  THE  BIBLE  SCHOOL. 

By  JOHN  H.  SCOTT. 

This  was  started  four  years  ago.  It  consisted  of  four 
teachers  and  four  scholars;  but  it  has  been  so  blest  that 
there  are  now  forty  teachers  and  fifty-two  scholars.  Four 
Chinese  were  baptized  in  1898,  so  that  we  have  now  ten 
Chinese  members. 

Moreover,  the  interest  has  so  cri'own  that  an  evening 
school  has  been  opened,  with  as  many  as  thirty-six  scholars 
and  eighteen  teachers.  The  great  lack  is  a  sufficient  num- 
ber of  devoted  teachers,  for  owing  to  the  peculiar  character 
of  the  work  there  ought  to  be  one  teacher  to  each  scholar. 
If  these  are  only  secured,  the  work  is  sure  to  grow  in  im- 
portance and  success. 

"  There  is  no  need  to  go  to  foreign  shores  to  be  a  mis- 
sionary ;  an  opportunity  is  afforded  right  here  in  our  own 
church.  Could  you  see  the  change  which  comes  into  the 
faces  of  these  men,  contrasting  them  as  they  first  came  to 
us,  and  after  they  have  been  enlightened  and  enlivened  by 
these  first  glimmerings  of  gospel  light,  you  would  realize 
as  never  before  the  wondrous  power  of  the  Holy  Spirit  in 
transforming  human  character,  and  would  esteem  it  a  privi- 
lege indeed  to  labor  in  this  department." 

Out  of  their  poverty — for  most  of  the  scholars  are  laun- 
drymen — these  few  pupils  gave,  in  1898,  S185. 48,  chiefly  to 
aid  in  Christianizing  their  own  native  land. 


384  FIRST  BAPTIST  CIIUKCH. 

The  officers  of  the  Chinese  department  are  :  Mrs.  T. 
Seymour  Scott,  superintendent  ;  James  H.  Bryant,  asso- 
ciate superintendent;  G.  W.  Jackson,  superintendent  of 
the  Monday  evening  class;   Miss  Anna  Sietz,  treasurer. 


TlIF:  IIQME  DEPARTMENT  OF  THE  BIBLE  SCHOOL. 

By  JOHN  H.  SCOTT. 

This  was  organized  in  1890,  and  reorganized  October  3, 
1897,  with  150  members.  Its  object  is  to  give  to  those 
who  are  unable  to  meet  with  the  school  an  opportunity  to 
be  in  touch  with  its  work  by  studying  the  lesson  at  home. 
It  is  most  gratifying  that  so  large  a  number — nearly  one 
member  in  six  of  the  whole  church — should  enter  upon 
such  a  systematic  study  of  the  Bible.  Mrs.  Almena  B. 
Bosson  has  charge  of  the  work. 


SATURDAY  EVENING,  DECEMBER  lo. 


HISTORICAL   ADDRESS. 
WILLIAM   W.   KEEN,  M.D.,  LL.D. 

(See  page  13.) 


SUNDAY    MORNING,    DECEMBER   ii 

THE  CHURCH  OF  THE  PAST. 
GEORGE   DANA  BOARDMAN,  D.D.,   LL.D. 

(See  page  251.) 


SUNDAY    EVENING,  DECEMBER   ii 


THE  CHURCH  OF  THE  FUTURE. 
KERR    BOYCE    TUPPER,    D.D.,   LL.D. 

(See  page  271.) 


25 


HISTORIES 


ORGANIZATIONS 


CONNECTED   WITH    THE 


FIRST   BAPTIST    CHURCH. 


HISTORIES  OF  THE  ORGANIZATIONS  CONNECTED 
WITH  THE  EIRST   BAPTIST  CHURCH. 


THE  WOMAN'S    AUXILIARY. 

The  various  woman's  societies  in  the  church,  federated 
into  the  Woman's  AuxiHary,  January,  1897,  are  now  fully 
organized  under  the  name  of  the  Woman's  Auxiliary  of 
the  First  Baptist  Church,  having  as  their  "  supreme  object 
the  cultivation  of  Christian  character,  and  the  advancement 
of  the  Lord's  kingdom." 

The  officers  are  :  President,  Mrs.  Kerr  B.  Tupper  ;  Vice- 
Presidents,  Mrs.  Dora  E.  Cobb  and  Mrs.  Wm.  Bucknell  ; 
Recording  Secretary,  Mrs.  Edward  H.  Clapp  ;  Treasurer, 
Miss  Lydia  M.  Morgan. 


L  The  Dorcas  Department. 

(See  page  197.) 

n.  The  Missionary  Department. 

For  the  purposes  of  the  history,  separate  consideration 
must  be  given  to  the  foreign  and  the  home  mission  work, 
though  at  present  they  are  consolidated. 

(a)  Foreign  MissioJiary  Society. — November  9,  18 10,  with 
the  approval  of  Dr.  Staughton,  who  met  with  them,  sixteen 
women  organized  a  Women's  Missionary  Society.  They 
were    an    auxiliary   to    the    Philadelphia    Baptist    Mission 

389 


390  FIRST  BAPTIST  CHURCH. 

Society,  and  in  their  first  year  they  raised  nearly  $250. 
There  was  also  a  Karen  Society.  Much  of  the  early  work 
was  done  by  the  Dorcas  Society,  as  already  stated. 

February  26,  1873,  largely  as  a  result  of  a  visit  from 
Miss  Haswell,  a  missionary  from  Burma,  the  Women's 
Foreign  Missionary  Society  was  organized.  Mrs.  Rev.  Dr. 
Warren  Randolph  was  its  first  president.  The  objects 
were — 

"  To  aid  in  sending  to  foreign  lands  and  sustaining  single 
ladies  who  shall  labor  as  missionaries  among  heathen 
women,  train  and  superintend  native  Bible  women,  and 
open  schools  for  girls." 

In  spite  of  the  panic  of  1873,  they  raised  $100  the  first 
year  for  Miss  Haswell's  work  in  Burma. 

In  1874-75  Mrs.  T.  S.  Foster  and  Mrs.  Joseph  F.  Page 
were  the  presidents.  In  the  latter  year  the  Society  became 
affiliated  with  the  Women's  Society  in  Boston,  though  the 
contributions  and  boxes  were  still  sent  to  Miss  Haswell. 
In  1877  the  Carnation  Band  and  the  Coral  Workers  were 
organized  among  the  children  as  an  auxiliary,  and  con- 
tributed the  next  year  $125  for  the  work.  In  1880  the 
Missionary  Inquirers  were  organized  by  Mrs.  Dr.  W.  W. 
Keen  for  the  methodical  study  of  foreign  missions,  and  did 
a  great  service  in  arousing  an  intelligent  interest  in  the 
subject. 

In  1889  Mrs.  J.  N.  Cushing  succeeded  Mrs.  Page  as 
president.  In  1890  Miss  M.  V.  Ashton  succeeded  to  the 
office,  and  in  1891  Mrs.  F.  W.  Tustin. 

The  work  of  the  Society  began  in  aiding  Miss  Haswell, 
then  Miss  Sands  and  others,  and  later  widened  its  field  so 
as  to  include  Burma,  India,  Japan,  China,  and  Africa,  the 
Missionary  Training  School  in  this  city,  medical  mission- 
ary work,  a  home  for  the  children  of  missionaries,  etc. 
What  an  amount  of  good  done  by  a  few  women,  whose 
hearts  were  in  the  work,  who  were  often  discouraged,  but 


BI-CEN7^ENNIAL    CELEBRATION.  391 

who  always  rose  above  discouragement  into  the  clear  light 
of  God's  sure  promises  ! 

Since  1873  they  have  raised  over  $14,000. 

The  present  officers  are:  Chairman,  Mrs.  T.  Seymour 
Scott;  Chairman  of  Program  Committee,  Mrs.  Francis  W. 
Tustin  ;   Chairman  of  Baby  Band,  Mrs.  Ralph   R.  Gurley, 

{6)  The  Home  Missionary  Society. — This  Society  was 
organized  May  17,  1877,  as  a  result  of  a  stirring  appeal 
May  1st  by  Major  Ingalls  on  "  Missionary  Work  among  the 
Indians."  Its  name  was  the  Women's  Home  Missionary 
Society  of  the  First  Baptist  Church,  and  from  the  first  it 
cooperated  with  the  Women's  Home  Mission  Society  of 
Chicago.  Miss  Mary  L.  Bonney  (afterward  Mrs.  Rambaut) 
was  its  first  president.  Mrs,  D.  L.  Hopper,  its  first  treas- 
urer, served  faithfully  for  twenty-two  years,  until  the  federa- 
tion of  all  the  women's  work  into  the  Women's  Auxiliary. 

The  objects  of  the  Society  are — 

"  To  promote  the  Christianization  of  homes  by  means 
of  mission  schools,  etc.,  with  special  reference  to  the  freed- 
men,  Indians,  and  immigrant  heathen  population  of  our 
country. " 

Its  work  for  the  Indians  has  already  been  told  in  the  his- 
tory of  the  Woman's  National  Indian  Association. 

In  1844  Mrs.  Washington  Butcher  became  its  president. 

In  1885  Mrs.  R.  R.  Gurley  organized  a  Baby  Band  as  an 
auxiliary  to  the  work. 

In  1892  Mrs.  T.  Seymour  Scott  was  elected  president, 
and  since  the  federation  of  the  women's  societies  has  acted 
as  chairman  of  this  department. 

The  work  of  the  Society  is  succinctly  stated  in  its  con- 
stitution, which  has  already  been  quoted.  The  good  done 
by  the  money,  boxes,  clothing,  etc.,  sent  to  all  parts  of 
our  country,  by  the  splendid  work  for  the  Indians,  and 
the  hardly  less  splendid  work  for  the  freedmen  and  our 
ignorant    immigrants,   by  their    educational    and   medical 


392  FIRST  BAPTIST  CHURCH. 

missions,  not  only  in  the  United  States,  but  in  Mexico  and 
Canada,  can  never  be  estimated  until  the  Lord  Himself  shall 
say,  "  Well  done,  good  and  faithful  servants." 

The  money  value  of  their  contributions  since  1877  has 
been  over  ;^  17,000. 

The  officers  of  the  Society  since  1897  are  the  same  as 
those  of  the  Foreign  Missionary  Society. 

III.  The  Devotional  Department. 

Chairman,  Mrs.  Almena  B.  Bosson. 

Monthly  meetings  of  this  department  have  been  held  at 
the  close  of  the  Dorcas,  but  the  inconvenient  hour  and  in- 
sufficient time  have  convinced  all  that  some  more  favor- 
able time  should  be  chosen  for  the  coming  year. 

IV.  The  Social  Department. 

Chairman,  Miss  Mary  O'Harra. 

The  Social  Department  has  done  its  particular  work 
admirably,  and  has  added  greatly  to  the  pleasures  and 
home  feeling  which  surround  us. 


THE  ANNIE  C.  INGLIS  MEMORIAL. 

This  was  the  first  auxiliary  to  the  Board  of  Managers  of 
the  Philadelphia  Home  for  Incurables.  Its  work  has  been 
partly  described  under  that  head.  It  was  organized  Octo- 
ber I,  1877.  Its  membership  has  always  included  others 
besides  members  of  our  church.  Its  present  officers  are: 
Honorary  President,  Mrs.  Caroline  C.  K.  Inglis  ;  President, 
Mrs.  Edward  R.  Fell ;  Vice-Presidents,  Mrs.  Weston  Don- 
aldson, Miss  Rosalie  G.Wilson;  Treasurer,  Mrs.  Joseph 
C.  Gill ;  Corresponding  Secretary,  Miss  Annie  I.  Bower  ; 
Recording  Secretary,  Miss  Jane  Stewart  Wilson. 


BI-CENTENNIAL    CELEBRATION.  393 

BANNER  CIRCLE  OF  KING'S  SONS. 

This  arose  from  a  desire  on  the  part  of  the  members  of 
a  Bible  school  class  to  do  something  to  aid  the  needy.  It 
was  organized  in  1891,  and  chose  for  its  motto  : 

"  Do  all  the  good  you  can, 
To  all  the  people  you  can, 
In  all  the  ways  you  can, 
For  Jesus'  sake." 

Their  badge  is  the  usual  Maltese  cross,  inscribed  with 
the  significant  letters  I.  H.  N. 

The  object  of  the  Circle  is  to  stimulate  individual  Chris- 
tian growth,  to  encourage  Christian  activity,  and  to  render 
assistance  to  the  worthy.  The  last  is  chiefly  done  by 
giving  Christmas  dinners  to  deserving  families  who  would 
otherwise  be  destitute  of  cheer  at  Christmas  time.  For 
this  purpose,  by  dues,  subscriptions,  and  entertainments, 
the  Circle  has  raised  over  ^350  in  the  seven  years  of  its 
useful  life.  They  have  given  132  Christmas  dinners,  be- 
sides distributing  food,  coal,  clothing,  etc. 

The  present  officers  are :  Leader,  Miss  Bertha  Ogden  ; 
Assistant  Leader,  Harry  Vowel  Miller ;  Secretary,  Samuel 
Washington  Hess  ;  Treasurer,  Arthur  Harrison  Clevenger. 


^bc  (Builb  Service. 


I.  THE  GIRLS'  GUILD. 

This  originated  from  the  Young  People's  Society  in 
1892.  It  began  under  the  direction  of  Miss  Meta  Jones. 
Its  design  was  to  furnish  an  attractive  place  in  which  girls 
could  spend  at  least  one  pleasant  evening  in  the  week,  and 


394  FIRST  BAPTIST  CHURCH. 

thus  draw  them  away  from  less  desirable  places  of  amuse- 
ment. 

A  cooking  class  was  organized  by  Miss  Byerly,  a  class 
in  English  history  by  Miss  Amy  Jones,  and  other  classes 
in  fancy  work,  plain  sewing,  and  dolls'  clothing  for  the 
younger  girls,  and  instruction  was  given  on  the  organ  and 
piano  by  Miss  Huntley. 

Later,  a  tourist  class  was  conducted  by  Miss  Pavey,  a 
class  in  calisthenics  by  Miss  Good,  and  one  in  stenography 
and  typewriting  by  Misses  Harris,  Saville,  and  Olewine 
successively.  Miss  Annie  English  and  Miss  Harriet 
Stauffer  have  given  instruction  in  music.  Mr.  Pennock 
has  generously  contributed  flowers  on  many  occasions. 

In  October,  1897,  Mrs.  Tupper  became  the  leader. 
There  are  thirty-three  members. 

The  present  officers  are:  Directress,  Mrs.  Kerr  B.  Tup- 
per ;  Treasurer,  Miss  Marian  F.  Van  Ingen ;  Secretary, 
Miss  Louise  B.  Henderson ;  Assistants,  Miss  Hattie  T. 
Stauffer,  Miss  Marian  F.  Van  Ingen,  Miss  Lizzie  Wallace, 
Mrs.  John  T.  Stauffer,  Mrs.  Mary  Brown,  Mrs.  James  H. 
Bryant,  Mrs.  Benj.  D.  West,  Miss  Louise  B.  Henderson. 


II.  THE  BOARDMAN   BOYS'  GUILD. 

This  arose  from  an  address  given  by  Rev.  Dr.  Edward 
Judson  in  April,  1893.  The  committee,  of  which  Rev.  Dr. 
Wayland  was  chairman,  and  at  whose  instance  the  lecture 
was  given,  were  greatly  impressed  with  the  need  for  such 
work,  as  the  neighborhood  of  our  church  was  fast  becoming 
a  business  center.  In  May,  1893,  a  reading-room  was 
opened  for  men,  and  the  church  parlors  were  provided 
with  games  for  small  boys.  Though  the  experiment  was 
a  success  so  far  as  numbers  were  concerned,  it  was  almost 


BICENTENNIAL    CELEBRATION.  395 

impossible  to  obtain  a  sufficient  number  of  workers  to  carry- 
it  on.  In  fact,  had  it  not  been  for  the  personal  zeal  and 
efficient  work  of  Mr.  John  H.  McQuillen,  it  would  have 
fallen  to  pieces.  He  was  ably  seconded  by  Misses  Hansell, 
Woodruff,  and  Ogden,  and  Messrs.  Hill,  Wilson,  and  Tustin, 
with  whom  others,  too  numerous  to  mention  individually, 
afterward  became  associated,  and  have  done  most  efficient 
work. 

The  work  of  the  Guild  is  entirely  unsectarian,  and  in- 
cludes the  children  of  both  Protestants  and  Catholics  alike. 
Twenty-five  boys  have  been  brought  into  the  Sunday- 
school.  There  is  a  library  of  from  200  to  300  books, 
a  class  in  mechanical  drawing,  and  two  clubs,  besides  the 
regular  departments  of  guild  work.  Entertaining  talks,  on 
"  How  We  are  Governed,"  "  Bees,"  "  Birds'  Wings,"  etc., 
have  been  given  ;  the  birthdays  of  famous  Americans  are 
celebrated;  and  small  savings  are  encouraged  by  a  branch 
of  the  Theodore  Starr  Savings  Bank.  The  personal  influ- 
ence of  the  Guild  as  to  manners,  dress,  and  refinement  has 
been  markedly  beneficial.  The  average  attendance  has 
been  fifty-eight.  The  present  officers  are  :  Head-worker, 
John  H.  McQuillen;  Treasurer,  Albert  Hill;  Secretary, 
Miss  Laura  Gendell ;  Registrar,  Robert  G.  Wilson;  Mem- 
bers of  the  Committee,  Miss  Lillian  Kennedy,  Miss  Penny- 
packer,  Miss  Charlotta  J.  Stauffer,  Miss  Ida  Timmins,  Miss 
Jennie  Timmins,  Miss  Mary  R.  Hansell,  Miss  Florence  B. 
Scott,  Miss  Laura  Gendell,  Miss  Grace  Gendell,  Miss  Agnes 
Gendell,  Frank  E.  Martin,  John  H.  McQuillen,  Albert  Hill, 
Alan  Calvert,  Charles  H.  Clevenger,  Arthur  H.  Clevenger, 
George  R.  Kurrie,  Samuel  W.  Hess,  George  L.  Hess,  David 
S.  Gendell,  Jr.,  R.  Grafifen  Wilson,  Benjamin  G.  Weston,  J. 
William  Clegg. 


396  FIRST  BAPTIST  CHURCH. 

THE  HELPING  CIRCLE  OF  KING'S  DAUGHTERS. 

The  Helping  Circle  of  King's  Daughters  was  organized 
in  October,  1894,  by  Mrs.  Margaret  T.  O'Harra. 

It  is  composed  of  young  girls  from  the  church  and  Sab- 
bath-school. Its  object  is  to  help  the  poor  and  destitute 
of  the  church  and  community,  and  thus,  by  aiding  the 
material  welfare,  help  also  the  spiritual  nature,  and  win 
souls  to  Christ. 

Entertainments  of  various  kinds  have  been  given,  and 
the  proceeds  resulting  therefrom  have  aided  in  purchasing 
Christmas  dinners  and  other  comforts  for  the  poor. 

Last  summer  a  dime  was  given  to  each  girl,  to  be  in- 
creased as  best  she  could.  By  the  autumn  these  dimes 
had  grown  to  ten  dollars,  to  which  friends  added  ten  more, 
and  ten  needy  families  were  supplied  each  with  a  Christ- 
mas dinner,  for  which,  with  "  Tiny  Tim,"  they  would  gladly 
exclaim  "  God  bless  us  all." 


BAPTIST    BOYS'   BRIGADE,  COMPANY  D. 

Company  D,  Baptist  Boys'  Brigade,  was  organized  in 
March,  1894,  in  the  Tabernacle  Baptist  Church  ;  the  charter 
membership  about  fifteen.  Mr.  George  A.  Dougherty  and 
Mr.  Hiram  Horter,  Jr.,  were  in  charge.  The  membership 
increased  to  fifty  in  a  short  time.  First  officers  :  Captain, 
Thomas  Horter;  First  Lieutenant,  Benjamin  Gilbough ; 
Second  Lieutenant,  Edward  Bowen. 

1895. — The  company  went  into  camp  at  Gordon  Heights 
with  the  City  Baptist  Boys'  Brigade,  and  had  in  all  about 
300  boys.  They  were  visited  by  the  Governor  of  Delaware 
and  his  staff,  which  was  felt  to  be  quite  an  honor. 

1896.— Went  to  camp,  at  Stone  Harbor,  N.  J.     At  this 


BICENTENNIAL    CELEBRATION.  397 

camp  one  of  the  important  features  was  the  effective  re- 
Hgious  meetings,  at  which  a  number  of  conversions  were 
reported. 

1897. — Camped  at  National  Park.  This  was  the  best 
camp  from  a  military  standpoint.  A  day's  march  of  fifteen 
miles  was  one  of  the  features.  Another,  the  testimony 
meetings,  at  which  quite  a  number  of  the  boys  took  part. 

1898. — The  camp  was  also  at  National  Park.  Mr.  George 
W.  Hughes,  Chaplain  of  the  Camps,  is  very  effective  in  the 
Brigade  work,  and  exerts  a  splendid  influence  over  the 
boys. 

At  all  our  meetings  a  portion  of  the  Bible  is  read  in  the 
hearing  of  all  the  boys,  and  prayer  offered,  concluding  with 
the  entire  company  offering  the  Model  Prayer. 

Each  boy,  on  entering  the  company,  must  promise  to 
refrain  from  the  use  of  tobacco  and  profanity,  and  that  he 
will  attend  some  Sunday-school,  and  we  believe  that  to 
this  promise  they  conform. 

Of  course,  the  meetings  are  not  of  the  character  that 
would  have  any  special  effect  in  the  boys'  conversion.  The 
boys  come  for  an  evening's  enjoyment  and  exercise  in  the 
use  of  the  musket,  and  they  are  required,  so  far  as  practi- 
cable, to  obey  orders,  as  is  required  of  a  soldier  in  the 
service  of  the  United  States. 

The  Brigade  is,  in  short,  used  as  a  means  to  the  end  the 
Sunday-school  has  in  view,  and  we  believe  that  with  a  boy 
full  of  life  and  mischief,  much  is  accomplished  if  only  he 
is  kept  out  of  the  streets  in  the  evenings. 

When  the  Tabernacle  Church  moved  to  West  Philadel- 
phia,Company  D  transferred  its  headquarters  and  its  alle- 
giance to  the  First  Church,  where  it  has  drilled  ever  since. 

Its  membership  is  thirty-five. 

Its  President  is  Benjamin  G.  Weston.  Its  Commander, 
Major  Edward  I.  Bowen. 


398  F/RST  BAPTIST  CHURCH. 

YOUNG    PEOPLE'S    SOCIETY    FOR    CHRISTIAN 
CULTURE. 

This  new  organization,  formed  by  the  pastor  in  1897,  has 
in  view  particularly  the  development  of  youth  in  three 
directions — namely,  sociability,  knowledge,  and  spirituality. 
It  cordially  invites  any  and  all  young  people,  especially 
those  of  the  First  l^aptist  Church  and  congregation,  to 
meet  the  pastor  in  the  lecture- room  of  the  church  on  the 
first  three  Tuesdays  of  each  month  (and  occasionally  on 
the  fourth  Tuesday,  at  receptions),  for  song  and  prayer 
service,  social  contact,  and  the  study  of  God's  movements 
in  history  as  revealed  in  the  Scriptures  and  post-Apostolic 
Church  history. 

There  will  be  no  formal  organization,  the  pastor  appoint- 
ing officers  and  committees  as  the  development  of  the  work 
and  the  guidance  of  the  Spirit  may  dictate. 

The  following  plan  of  spiritual  recreation  and  of  study  is 
suggested  : 

7.45-8.00,  Song  Service;  8.00-8. 20,  Prayer  Service; 
8.20-9.00,  Lecture  and  Study. 

Lectures  have  been  given  on  "  The  Graphic  Art,"  "  The 
Picturesque  Orient,"  "  Constitutional  Law,""  The  Problem 
of  the  City,"  "  Astronomy  in  the  Bible,"  etc. 

The  pastor  has  suggested  a  list  of  books  for  their  use. 


THE   MEN'S   LEAGUE   FOR  SOCIAL  SERVICE. 

(This  has  already  been  described  on  page  198.) 


BI-CENTENNIAL    CELEBRATION.  399 


©rganisations  in  Both  lE^cn* 


WOMAN'S    WORK    IN    BETH    EDEN    CHURCH. 

At  the  close  of  the  morning  service  in  Beth  Eden  Church, 
December  31,  1871,  a  meeting  of  the  ladies  was  held  for 
the  purpose  of  organizing  a  Foreign  Missionary  Society. 
Miss  Anable  presided,  and  introduced  Miss  Hasvvell,  who 
stated  that  the  object  in  forming  the  Society  was  to  aid  the 
Women's  Baptist  Foreign  Missionary  Society  in  its  work 
of  giving  the  gospel  to  women  in  heathen  lands. 

The  following  officers  were  elected  :  Mrs.  A.  F.  Chese- 
brough,  President;  Mrs.  J.  H.  Geyer,  Treasurer;  Miss  S. 
C.  Dewey,  Secretary. 

Miss  Haswell  requested  that  the  contributions  for  the 
first  year  might  be  given  toward  erecting  a  building  for 
her  school  in  Burma. 

Mrs.  Chesebrough  continued  as  president  until  1876, 
when  she  resigned,  and  Miss  Anable  was  elected  president. 
This  was  the  only  change  in  the  officers  of  the  Society 
until  it  united  with  that  of  the  First  Church  in  1895. 

The  first  year  the  collections  amounted  to  $211.50,  in- 
cluding four  life  memberships.  Meetings  were  held 
monthly  for  business.  To  promote  a  knowledge  of  mis- 
sionary work,  several  members  reported  at  each  meeting 
the  latest  intelligence  from  different  parts  of  the  foreign 
field.  Returned  missionaries  were  invited  to  give  their 
own  experiences,  which  always  created  greater  interest  than 
a  written  description.  Among  those  to  whom  we  were  in- 
debted were  Miss  Haswell,  Mrs.  Bailey,  Mrs.  Binney,  Mrs. 
Knowlton,  Miss  Fielde,  Mrs.  Downie,  and  Mrs.  Cushing. 

For  several  years  the  money  raised  by  the  Society  was 
devoted  to   Miss   Haswell's  school ;  afterward  it  was  sent 


400 


FIRS 7'  BAPTIST  CHURCH. 


to  the  general  fund  of  the  Women's  Foreign  Missionary 
Society  until  1884.  In  February  of  that  year  Mrs.  Downie, 
of  Nellore,  met  the  ladies  of  the  Society,  and  explained  to 
them  the  work  of  the  native  Bible  women  ;  all  present 
were  so  much  interested  that  they  expressed  a  desire  to 
support  a  Bible  woman,  and  Mrs.  Downie  recommended 
Krishnalu  as  one  of  the  most  efficient.  The  Society  voted 
to  support  her,  and  continued  to  do  so  for  ten  years. 
Krishnalu  sent  several  touching  letters,  and  Mrs.  Downie 
kept  the  society  informed  of  her  work.  In  October,  1894, 
Krishnalu  passed  from  her  earthly  labors  to  her  heavenly 
rest.  Dr.  Downie  wrote  that  this  was  the  most  severe  blow 
the  Nellore  station  had  sustained  for  many  years.  Krish- 
nalu was  no  ordinary  helper ;  while  her  work  was  chiefly 
among  the  women,  her  ability  and  zeal  as  a  preacher  could 
hold  a  village  crowd  spellbound  as  she  poured  out  her 
soul  in  earnest  appeal  to  them  to  flee  to  Christ,  the  only 
Saviour.  Mrs.  Downie  said  she  felt  as  if  she  had  lost  her 
right  hand,  as  Krishnalu  had  been  such  an  efficient  helper 
in  all  departments  of  her  work  among  the  Telugu  women. 
Truly,  those  who  contributed  to  her  support  should  feel 
that  it  was  a  blessed  privilege  to  assist  so  earnest  a  disciple 
of  the  Lord. 

The  Dorcas  Society  met  once  a  week  to  make  garments 
for  the  poor  until  Beth  Eden  was  destroyed  by  fire,  January 
31,  1 88 1.  For  a  year  the  meetings  were  discontinued,  but 
after  the  church  was  rebuilt  they  were  resumed.  The 
Dorcas  Society  worked  chiefly  for  the  poor  children  in  the 
Sunday-school  until  the  Home  Mission  Circle  was  organ- 
ized, when  the  work  was  extended,  the  members  of  the  two 
societies  uniting  in  preparing  clothing  for  the  needy  out- 
side of  our  own  city.  Boxes  and  barrels  were  sent  to 
ministers  settled  in  destitute  places  in  the  West,  and  cloth- 
ing and  basted  work  to  home  missionaries,  especially  to 
those   stationed  in  the  South.     Miss  Jones,  Miss  Jackson, 


BI-CENTENNIAL    CELEBRATION.  401 

Miss  Addle  Morris,  Miss  Seils,  and  others  received  boxes. 
The  members  of  the  Circle  also  had  the  pleasure  of  meet- 
ing these  missionaries  and  hearing  of  their  efforts  to  relieve 
the  poor  and  to  educate  the  ignorant  and  degraded.  Miss 
Morris  related  how  she  had  been  led  to  work  for  her  peo- 
ple ;  she  told  of  the  lack  of  comfortable  accommodations 
and  of  the  necessity  for  putting  up  a  school  building  in 
which  she  could  live,  for  her  health  had  suffered  seriously 
from  occupying  damp  rooms.  Her  simple  story  of  what 
she  had  accomplished,  and  her  devotion  and  earnest- 
ness impressed  all  who  heard  her,  and  the  members  of 
the  Circles  and  Bands  subscribed  over  $100  for  her. 

In  November,  1893,  at  the  meeting  of  the  Home  Mission 
Union,  Mrs.  Perry  read  a  letter  from  Mrs.  Mather,  of  Beau- 
fort, S.  C,  telling  of  the  dreadful  destitution  of  the  colored 
people  who  had  lost  everything,  their  homes  having  been 
swept  away  by  the  terrible  storms  which  had  prevailed  on 
the  coast.  All  the  Circles  were  requested  to  aid  Mrs. 
Mather. 

Dr.  Beckley  was  very  much  interested  in  this  appeal, 
and  thought  many  persons  in  the  city  would  like  to 
send  articles  if  they  knew  of  the  suffering  of  these  home- 
less people.  He  gave  notice  through  the  daily  papers  that 
all  donations  sent  to  Beth  Eden  would  be  gladly  received 
and  forwarded.  The  result  was  that  great  quantities  of 
clothing,  bedding,  and  household  utensils  were  sent  to  the 
church  by  members  of  all  denominations,  and  ten  large 
boxes  and  three  barrels  were  packed  and  sent  to  Mrs. 
Mather.  Part  of  the  money  collected  each  year  by  the 
Home  Mission  Circle  was  devoted  to  special  objects,  but 
the  larger  portion  was  sent  to  the  Women's  Home  Mis- 
sionary Society  for  its  general  work. 

The  Nanna  Wilson  Circle,  composed  of  young  ladies,  was 
organized  in  1887  by  Mrs.  William  Bucl<nell,  who  was  the 
president. 
26 


402  FIRST  BAPTIST  CHURCH. 

They  contributed  to  the  support  of  Miss  Wilson,  and 
spent  much  time  in  making  useful  articles  to  fill  the  boxes 
which  they  sent  her.  They  did  not  limit  their  efforts  to 
the  foreign  field,  but  sewed  for  the  Baptist  Orphanage, 
basted  work  for  the  Industrial  schools,  and  devoted  part 
of  their  funds  to  home  missions. 

Many  of  the  earnest  workers  in  the  l^eth  Eden  societies 
have  passed  away.  They  rest  from  their  labors,  but  the 
work  must  go  on  until  every  woman  shall  hear  the  gospel. 

Sarah  C.  Dewey, 
Secretary  of  Beth  Eden  Missionary  Society. 


THE  WHATSOEVER  CIRCLE  OF  KING'S  DAUGHTERS. 

This  was  organized  November,  1893,  and  immediately 
joined  the  International  Order  of  King's  Daughters. 

The  object  of  the  Society  is  to  develop  spiritual  life,  and 
to  stimulate  Christian  activity.  Its  motto  is,  "  Whatsoever 
thy  hand  findeth  to  do,  do  it  with  all  thy  might."  It  organ- 
ized with  twelve  members,  but  soon  increased  to  nineteen. 

The  first  officers  chosen  were  :  Leader,  Mrs.  Bradley  ; 
Secretary,  Miss  M.  J.  Robertson  ;  Treasurer,  Mrs.  I.  W. 
Hagen.  The  purpose  of  the  Circle  has  been  to  help  the 
poor  and  needy  wherever  found,  especially  families  and 
individuals  not  reached  by  other  organizations.  The  mem- 
bers have  the  privilege  of  calling  attention  to  any  case  of 
want  or  distress  that  they  may  hear  or  know  of,  and  in 
every  worthy  case  help  is  given,  the  members  always  re- 
sponding most  cheerfully.  The  funds  are  chiefly  raised  by 
monthly  dues,  and  sometimes  by  voluntary  contributions. 
Much  good  has  been  accomplished  in  the  past,  in  a  very 
quiet  way.  Coal  and  baskets  of  provisions  have  been  sent 
to  needy  ones.     Children  have  been  provided  with  suitable 


BI-CENTE.VNfAL    CELEBRATION.  403 

clothing,  the  sick   materially  assisted,  and  heavy  burdens 
lightened  by  sympathy  and  help. 

The  Circle  was  reorganized  at  the  First  Baptist  Church 
March  30,  1896,  with  a  smaller  membership.  Notwith- 
standing the  small  membership  and  the  few  meetings  that 
were  held  in  the  years  1896  and  1897,  the  members  were 
active  in  good  works. 

Mrs.  I.  W.  Hagen. 


©vGantsattons  in  the  lliuinanucl  flllisston. 


YOUNG    PEOPLE'S    SOCIETY    OF    CHRISTIAN 
ENDEAVOR. 

October  14,  1891,  the  Young  People's  Society  of  Chris- 
tian Endeavor  of  Immanuel  Chapel  was  organized  with 
twelve  members.  At  the  present  time  there  are  fifty  of  us 
working  together  for  Christ  and  the  Church.  Untold 
blessing  has  come  to  the  church  through  the  Christian 
Endeavor  Society.  Each  has  in  his  own  way  striven  for 
the  furtherance  of  God's  kingdom.  This  singleness  of 
endeavor  has  effected  closer  fellowship  among  us,  and 
union  with  our  great  Helper  and  Guide. 

"  Deny  thyself,  take  up  thy  cross  and  follow  me."  We 
have  tried  to  follow  this  command  of  our  Master.  One 
week  each  year  is  set  apart  as  a  time  for  self-denial.  The 
money  obtained  is  given  to  the  support  of  a  worker  in  the 
foreign  field. 

Our  Flower  Committee  does  excellent  work.  For  years 
bouquets  have  been  distributed  every  Sabbath  among  the 
sick  ones.  Accompanying  the  flowers  is  a  verse  of  Scrip- 
ture or  of  poetry. 


404  FIRST  BAPTIST  CHURCH. 

On  several  occasions  we  have  been  represented  in  the 
great  International  Conventions,  and  our  delegates  have 
come  back  with  interesting  reports,  renewed  energy,  and 
with  power  to  stimulate  us  all  to  better  Christian  work. 

Miss  Gertrude  M.  Green. 


IMMANUEL    MISSIONARY    CIRCLE. 

This  was  organized  March  8,  1893,  by  Mrs.  Gushing,  of 
the  Philadelphia  Training  School,  with  a  membership  of 
twelve. 

The  Circle  has  interested  itself  in  both  home  and  for- 
eign mission  work,  dividing  the  money  received  at  each 
meeting  equally.  In  addition  to  this  the  members  of  the 
Circle  and  congregation  contribute  two  cents  a  week 
toward  foreign  missions.  Our  incidental  expenses,  such 
as  freight,  our  annual  apportionments  to  the  Women's 
Home  and  Foreign  Mission  Societies,  etc.,  are  covered  by 
the  proceeds  of  our  "  Apron  Fund."  During  the  first  year, 
while  the  membership  was  yet  small,  we  supported  a  child 
in  an  African  school. 

Our  home  work  has  been  varied — helping  the  Training 
School,  the  Baptist  Orphanage,  the  Kensington  sufferers, 
and  this  year  remembering  our  sick  soldiers  in  one  of  the 
Philadelphia  hospitals. 

The  Circle  holds  its  meetings  on  the  third  Tuesday  of 
each  month,  at  which  time  the  members  sew,  sometimes 
for  the  Orphanage,  and  at  different  times  have  prepared 
work  for  the  use  of  Miss  Reeside,  who  is  working  among 
the  Kiowa  Indians.  We  have  now  thirty-six  members  on 
our  roll.  The  meetings  are  well  attended  and  full  of  in- 
terest. 

Miss  Louisa  B.  Anderson, 

President. 


BICENTENNIAL    CELEBRATION.  405 

THE  JUNIOR  SOCIETY  OF  CHRISTIAN  ENDEAVOR. 

This  was  organized  October,  1893,  with  Miss  Gertie 
Green  as  President,  and  a  membership  of  thirty-five.  This 
Society  has  been,  and  is,  a  great  help  to  the  work  of  our 
chapel  and  to  the  distressed.  Its  record  is  one  of  good 
deeds,  fragrant  with  the  love  of  Christ. 

A  week  of  self-denial  yields  annually  enough  money  to 
pay  for  the  education  of  a  native  Burmese  Christian, 
Every  Sunday  morning  the  Society  sings  at  the  regular 
church  service.  Every  Sunday,  until  this  year,  we  have 
carried  gifts  of  flowers  to  the  sick. 

The  Society  has  at  present  forty-two  members,  and  its 
ofiicers  are  as  follows:  Superintendent,  Mrs.  Harry  J. 
Moore;  Assistant  Superintendent,  Miss  Sara  J.  Bennett; 
Organist,  Mr.  David  J.  Bennett ;  Secretary,  Miss  Elizabeth 
C.  McClintock. 

Mrs.  Harry  J.  Moore, 

Siiperintendetit. 


JUNIOR  SOCIETY  OF  CHRISTIAN    ENDEAVOR,  No.  2, 

Was  organized  April  14,  1894.  The  children  are  taught 
to  sew  cards  that  illustrate  the  lesson.  They  are  also 
taught  the  "  Pearl  Verses"  and  the  Commandments.  We 
have  a  membership  of  forty. 

Mrs.  Joseph  Monroe, 

Superintendent. 


FARTHER  LIGHTS  MISSION  CIRCLE. 

On  June  12,  1897,  Miss  Patton,  Secretary  of  the  Junior 
Work,  and  twelve  girls,  met  in  our  chapel,  and  after  a  very 
careful    explanation  of  the   objects   and    purposes  of  the 


4o6  FIKSl^  BAPTIST  CHURCH. 

organization,  the  Farther  Lights  Circle  was  organized, 
with  the  following  officers:  President,  Mrs.  W.  S.  Elliott; 
Vice-President,  Miss  Sara  J.  Bennett ;  Secretary,  Miss 
Elizabeth  McClintock  ;  Treasurer,  Miss  Mamie  Hufnell. 

Since  its  organization  the  Circle  has  met  one  evening 
each  month  and  taken  up  the  studies  arranged  by  the  gen- 
eral Society.  Part  of  the  evening  has  been  spent  in  sewing 
for  home  missionary  work.  The  Circle  is  a  great  help  to 
the  young  ladies  and  a  blessing  to  the  church. 

Mrs.  W.  S.  Elliott, 

President. 


APPENDIX. 


APPENDIX  A. 

SUMMARY  OF  FAITH.  COVENANT.  CHARTER,  AND  BY-LAWS 

OF 

THE  FIRST  BAPTIST  CHURCH 

OF    THE 

CITY   OF    PHILADELPHIA. 

1896. 


Note. — We  publish  the  following  outline  of  our  religious  faith,  not  to  add 
to  or  take  from  anything  in  the  Scriptures,  but  simply  to  set  forth,  in  a  concise 
form,  our  views  of  Christian  faith  and  practice,  for  the  knowledge  and  approval 
of  those  who  may  propose  to  become  members  of  the  Church. 

This  summary  agrees  in  substance  with  the  Confession  of  Faith  adopted  by 
the  Philadelphia  Association  in  1742,  and  approved  liy  this  Church. 


SUMMARY    OF    FAITH 


I.  THE  SCRIPTURES. 

We  believe  that  the  books  of  the  Old  and  New  Testaments, 
regarded  by  the  mass  of  Protestant  Christians  as  inspired  and 
canonical,  contain  the  revealed  will  of  God  to  man  ;  that  these 
writings  constitute  the  only  reliable  sources  of  information  on 
all  the  great  questions  which  affect  our  spiritual  and  immortal 

409 


4IO  FIRST  BAPTIST  CHURCH. 

interests;  and  that  these  furnish  the  only  infallible  standard  of 
faith  and  practice  in  all  matters  of  religion. 

2  Timothy  iii :  i6.      Psalms  xix  :  7.      2  Peter  i :  20,  21.      Isaiah  viii :  20. 

II.   THE  EXISTENCE  OF   GOD. 

We  believe  that  there  is  one  living  and  true  God,  infinite  in 
being  and  perfection,  the  Creator,  Preserver,  and  Disposer  of 
all  things;  that  there  are  three  distinct  and  co-equal  persons  in 
this  one  God,— the  Father,  the  Son,  and  the  Holy  Ghost. 

Isaiah  xiv  :  5.      I  John  v  :  7. 

III.  THE  CREATION  AND  FALL  OF  MAN. 
We  believe  that  God  created  man  in  His  own  image,  pure  and 
upright;  that  our  first  parents  fell  from  this  original  state  by 
their  transgression  of  the  Divine  Law  ;  that  in  consequence  of 
that  transgression  their  descendants  of  the  whole  human  family 
have  been  made  sinners  and  placed  in  a  state  of  guilt,  condem- 
nation, and  wrath. 

Genesis  i  :  27.      Romans  v  :  iS,  19.      Romans  iii :  9-12. 

IV.  THE  PLAN   OF  SALVATION. 

We  believe  that  through  His  boundless  compassion  and  sove- 
reign grace,  irrespective  of  anything  in  man,  God  has  devised 
and  published  a  glorious  plan  of  recovery  and  salvation— a  plan 
by  which  the  entrance  of  sin  into  the  world  shall  be  finally  over- 
ruled to  His  own  glory. 

John  iii  :  16.      Romans  v  :  20. 

V.   THE   MEDIATOR. 

We  believe  that  Jesus  Christ,  the  Son  of  God  and  the  Son  of 
Man,  uniting  in  Himself  both  the  Divine  and  human  nature,  is 
the  great  and  only  Mediator  between  God  and  men  ;  that  His 
work  of  atonement  and  everlasting  righteousness  constitutes  the 
only  ground  of  reconciliation  with  God. 

I  Timothy  ii :  5.      Isaiah  liii :  5.      Hebrews  vii :  25. 


B [-CENTENNIAL    CELEBRATION.  411 

VI.  THE   GRACIOUS   PURPOSE    OF  GOD. 

We  believe  that  it  was  tlie  gracious  purpose  of  God  before  tlie 
foundation  of  the  world  that  no  uncertainty  should  attend  this 
plan  of  salvation,  but  that  "a  seed"  should  be  given  to  the 
Redeemer,  "to  the  praise  of  the  glory  of  His  grace."  We 
believe  that  this  sovereign  purpose  and  electing  grace  of  God, 
as  stated  in  the  Bible,  is  in  harmony  with  the  position  of  man  as 
a  free  and  responsible  creature  of  God,  and  perfectly  consistent 
with  the  diligent  use  of  all  the  appointed  means  of  grace. 

2  Thessalonians  ii :  13,  14.  Romans  viii  :  30.  2  Peter  i :  10.  2  Timotliy 
i  :  S,  9.      I'liilippians  ii :  12. 

VII.   THE  WORK  OF  THE   HOLY   SPIRIT. 

We  believe  that  the  great  change,  called  in  the  Scriptures 
regeneration,  and  all  subsequent  progress  in  the  Divine  life,  is 
accomplished  through  the  gracious  influence  of  the  Holy  Spirit 
— an  influence  exerted  in  cooperation  and  harmony  with  the 
preaching  of  the  Gospel  and  the  diligent  use  of  the  appointed 
means. 

John  iii  :  5.     2  Corinthians  v  :  17. 

VIII.   REPENTANCE  AND   FAITH. 

We  believe  that  repentance  toward  God,  and  faith  in  our 
Lord  and  Saviour  Jesus  Christ,  are  essential  to  a  participation  in 
the  benefits  of  redemption.  We  understand  by  faith  a  firm  ]:ier- 
suasion  and  cordial  reception  of  "  the  truth  as  it  is  in  Jesus" — 
a  reliance  of  the  soul  on  Him,  as  our  Prophet,  Priest,  and  King, 
leading  to  entire  and  imitlicit  obedience. 

p]y  repentance  we  understand  that  godly  sorrow  for  sin  which 
humbles  the  soul  before  God,  and  insures  reformation  of  life. 

John  i  :  12.      Acts  xvi :  31.      2  Corinthians  viii :  10. 

IX.    GOOD    WORKS. 

We  believe  that  it  is  the  duty  of  believers  to  maintain  good 
works  ;  that  these  are  the  ])roi)er  and  legitimate  fruits  of  the 
.Spirit,  and  the  most  reliable  evidences  of  conversion. 

Titus  iii :  8.     James  ii  :  17,  18. 


412  FIRST  BAPTIST  CHURCH. 

X.   PERSEVERANCE. 

We  believe  that  all  who  are  truly  converted  to  God  will  be 
kept  by  His  almighty  power  through  faiih  unto  salvation. 

Philippians  i :  6.      John  x  :  27,  28.      Romans  viii :  3S,  39. 

XI.   THE   VISIBLE   CHURCH. 

We  believe  that  each  body  of  baptized  believers  which  holds 
forth  the  Word  of  Life,  and  maintains  the  ordinances  of  the 
(rospel,  constitutes  a  visible  Church  of  Christ. 

I  Corinthians  i  :  2.      I  Corinthians  xi  :  2. 

XII.   OFFICERS  OF    THE   CHURCH. 

We  believe  that  these  are  comprised  under  the  two  specific 
orders  of  Bishops,  Pastors,  or  Elders,  and  Deacons,  whose  respec- 
tive duties  are  defined  in  the  New  Testament. 

Philippians  i :  i.     I  Timothy  iii. 

XIII.  ORDINANCES   OF  THE  CHURCH. 

We  believe  that  the  two  institutions  of  Baptism  and  the  Lord's 
Supper  constitute  these  ordinances  and  that  these  are  to  be 
faithfully  maintained  by  all  true  Christians. 

Christian  Bajstism  we  believe  to  be  the  immersion  of  the  body 
in  water,  in  or  into  the  name  of  the  Father,  the  Son,  and  the 
Holy  Ghost  ;  that  this  is  to  be  administered  only  on  a  profession 
of  faith  on  the  part  of  the  person  baptized,  and  is,  in  every  in- 
stance, to  be  regarded  as  a  pre-requisite  to  the  observance  of  the 
Lord's  Supper. 

The  Lord's  Supper  we  regard  as  an  institution  appointed  by 
the  great  Head  of  the  Church,  in  which  we  commemorate  His 
death,  offered  and  accepted  as  a  sacrifice  in  our  behalf— the 
commemoration  consisting  in  partaking  of  the  bread  and  wine, 
the  emblems  of  His  body  and  His  blood. 

.  We   believe   that   these    ordinances   are  positive  institutions, 
fixed  by  the  Head  of  the  Church,  and,  therefore,  to  be  faithfully 


BI-CENTENNIAL    CELEBRATION.  413 

kept  and  observed  by  His  people,  without  alteration,  to  the  end 
of  time. 

Matthew  xxviii :  19.  Mark  xvi  :  15-ig,  Romans  vi :  4.  Colossinns  ii  :  12. 
John  iii  :  2.  Matthew  iii  :  6.  Mark  i  :  9.  Acts  viii  :  35—39.  I  ( "orinthians 
xi  :  26.      Acts  ii  :  42. 

XIV.   THE  CHRISTIAN   SABBATH. 

We  believe  that  the  first  day  of  the  week  has  been  constituted 
by  our  Saviour's  resurrection,  and  by  Apostolic  sanction,  the 
Christian  Sabbath;  that  this  day  is  to  be  sacredly  devoted  to 
religious  purposes,  and,  like  the  Ordinances  of  the  Gospel  and 
the  Preaching  of  the  Word,  to  be  observed  to  the  end  of  the 
world. 

Acts  XX  :    7.     Exodus  xx  :  8. 

XV.   THE   RESURRECTION   AND    FINAL  JUDGMENT. 

We  believe  that  "God  has  appointed  a  day  in  which  He 
will  judge  the  world  in  righteousness  "  ;  that  "  the  hour  is  com- 
ing when  all  that  are  in  the  graves  shall  hear  the  voice  of  the 
Son  of  Man,  and  come  forth,  some  to  the  resurrection  of  life, 
and  some  to  the  resurrection  of  damnation  "  ;  that  Christ  will 
come  to  conduct  His  people  to  that  kingdom  "  prepared  for 
them  from  the  foundation  of  the  world,"  and  to  consign  His 
enemies  to  that  '•  everlasting  punishment  prejjared  for  the  devil 
and  his  angels." 

Acts  xvii  :  31  ;   xxiv  :  15.      Matthew  xxv  :  41. 


COVENANT. 


Believing  that  we  have  been  redeemed  by  the  Lord  Jesus 
Christ,  and  by  the  power  of  the  Holy  Spirit  have  accepted 
Him  as  our  Saviour,  we  do  now  solemnly  covenant  with  each 
other — 

That,  God  enabling  us,  we  will  strive  together  in  brotherly 
love  for  the  promotion  ot  His  Cause  and  the  development  of 
our  Christian  character,  exhorting  and  admonishing  one  another 
as  occasion  may  require,  participating  in  each  other's  joys,  and 
endeavoring  with  tenderness  and  sympathy  to  bear  each  other's 
burdens  and  sorrows; 

That  we  will,  by  attendance  at  the  regular  meetings  of  the 
Church,  sustain  the  public  worship  of  Almighty  God,  and  will 
cheerfully  contribute  of  our  means  for  the  maintenance  of  a 
faithful  Gospel  ministry  among  us,  for  the  relief  of  the  poor,  and 
for  the  various  objects  of  Christian  benevolence  ; 

That  we  will  regularly  observe  private  and  family  devotion 
and  endeavor  to  bring  up  those  who  may  be  under  our  care  in 
the  nurture  and  admonition  of  the  Lord  ; 

That  we  will,  in  our  business  and  social  relations,  seek  to 
maintain  an  upright  and  Godly  life,  and,  by  example  and  effort, 
to  win  souls  to  Christ,  striving  at  all  times  to  live  to  the  glory 
of  Him  who  has  called  us  out  of  darkness  into  His  marvelous 
lisht. 


Now  the  God  of  Peace,  that  brought  again  from  the  dead  our 
Lord  Jesus,  that  great  Shepherd  of  the  Sheep,  through  the  blood 
of  the  Everlasting  Covenant,  make  you  perfect  in  every  good 
work  to  do  His  will,  working  in  you  that  which  is  well-pleasing 
in  His  sight,  through  Jesus  Christ,  to  whom  be  glory  for  ever 
and  ever.      Amen. 

414 


THE  ACT  OF  INCORPORATION  OR   CONSTITUTION  OF  THE  RELI- 
GIOUS SOCIETY  OR  Congregation  of  baptists  known 

BY  THE  NAME  OF  "THE  FIRST  BAPTIST  CHURCH  OF 
PHILADELPHIA,  MEETING  FOR  WORSHIP  IN  SECOND 
STREET,  BETWEEN  HIGH  AND  MULBERRY  STREETS," 

WITH  ALL  ITS  AMENDMENTS  AND  ALTERATIONS  BROUGHT 
DOWN  TO   DECEMBER    ii,   1898. 


ACT   OF   INCORPORATION. 


Pennsyhauia,  SS. 

In    the   name   and   by   the   authority  of  the   Commonwealth  of 
Pennsylvania. 

[Signed] 

J.  Andrew  Shulze. 


[GREAT"! 
SEAL.  J 


J.  Andrew  Shulze, 

GOVERNOR 

of  the  said  Commonwealth, 

To  Calvin  Blythe,  Esquire,  Secretary  of  the 
said  Commonwealth,  SENDS  GREETINGS: 
Whereas,  it  has  been  duly  certified  to  me  by 

[STATE  COAT"!    Amos  EUmaker,  Esquire,  Attorney  General  of 
OF  ARMS.    J    the  said  Commonwealth,  and  by  John  B.  Gibson, 
Esquire,   Chief  Justice,  and  Molton  C.  Rogers 
and   Charles    Huston,    Esquires,   Assistant    Jus- 
tices of   the  Supreme  Courts  of   Pennsylvania, 
.    that    they    have   respectively    perused    and  ex- 
amined   the    Annexed    Act    or   Instrument    for 
the  Incorporation  of  "The  First  Baptist  Church 
of  Phi]adeli)hia,  meeting  for  worship  in  Second  Street,  between 
High  and  Mulberry  Streets,"  and  that  they  concur  in  opinion, 
that  the   objects,  articles,  and  conditions  therein  set  forth  and 
contained  are  lawful. 

415 


4i6  FIRST  BAPTIST  CHURCH. 

Now  know  you  that  in  pursuance  of  an  Act  of  the  General 
Assembly,  passed  the  6th  day  of  April,  in  the  \ear  of  our  Lord 
one  thousand  seven  hundred  and  ninety-one,  entitled  "An  Act 
to  confer  on  certain  associations  of  the  Citizens  of  this  Com- 
monwealth the  powers  and  immunities  of  cor|)oration  or  bodies 
politic  in  law,"  I  have  transmitted  the  said  Act,  or  instrument 
of  incorporation  unto  you,  the  said  Calvin  Blythe,  Esquire,  Sec- 
retary, as  aforesaid,  hereby  requiring  you  to  enrol  the  same  at 
the  expense  of  the  applicants,  to  the  intent  that  according  to  the 
objects,  articles,  and  conditions  therein  set  forth  and  contained, 
the  ])arties  may  become  and  be  a  corporation  and  body  i)olitic 
in  law  and  in  fact,  to  have  continuance  by  the  name,  style,  and 
title  in  the  said  instrument  provided  and  declared. 

Given  under  my  hand  and  the  Great  Seal  of  the  State,  at 
Harrislnirg,  this  sixteenth  day  of  May,  in  the  year  of  our 
Lord,  one  thousand  eight  hundred  and  twenty-nine,  and  of 
the  Commonwealth  the  fifty-third. 

By  the  Governor, 

C.  Blytlie,  Secy,  of  tJie  CoDitJi. 


CHARTER. 

Adopted  1828;   Recorded  May  16,  1829. 


Constitution  of  the  Religious  Society  or  Congregation  of 
Baptists  known  b}'  the  name  of  the  First  Baptist  Church  of 
Philadelphia,  meeting  for  worship  in  Second  Street,  between 
High  and  Mulberry  Streets. 

ARTICLE  I. 
This  Society,  consisting  of  all  such  persons  as  are  now,  or 
may  hereafter  be  admitted  members  thereof,  shall  be  incorpor- 
ated under  the  name  and  style  of  "The  First  Baptist  Church  of 
Philadelphia,  meeting  for  worship  in  Second  Street  between 
High  and  Mulberry  Streets,"  to  have  perpetual  succession,  and 
to  take,  hold,  and  enjoy  lands,  tenements,  and  hereditaments, 
rents,  annuities,  and  franchises,  and  any  sum  and  sums  of 
money,  and  any  manner  and  portion  of  goods  and  chattels  : 
Provided,  that  the  clear  yearly  value  or  income  of  the  real  estate 
held  by  them,  and  the  interest  of  money  by  them  lent,  shall  not 
exceed  the  sum  of  five  hundred  pounds. 

ARTICLE  II. 

The  secular  affairs  of  said  Church  shall  be  committed  to  the 
management  of  a  Board  of  fifteen  Trustees,  who  shall  be  elected 
annually,  by  ballot,  from  among  the  members  of  said  Church, 
on  the  second  Monday  of  January  in  each  and  every  year,  at  the 
Meeting  House  of  said  Cliurch,  in  Second  Street  between  High 
and  Mulberry  Streets,  in  the  City  of  Philadelphia,  and  who 
shall  hold  their  offices  for  one  year,  and  until  others  are  chosen 
in  their  place  :  Provided,  That  if  during  the  said  year  they  or 
any  of  them  should  be  excluded  or  suspended  from  the  privi- 
leges of  said  Church,  for  any  cause  whatsoever,  they  shall  cease  to 
be  Trustees,  and  their  places  may  be  filled  in  such  manner  as 
may  be  provided  for  in  the  By-Laws,  until  the  next  regular  elec- 
tion of  Trustees  :  Provided,  also,  That  if  the  election  shall  not 
27  417 


4i8  FIRST  BAPTIST  CHURCH. 

take  place  at  the  time  appointed,  the  faihire  shall  not  ojjerate  to 
destroy  this  Charter,  but  the  election  shall  be  held  at  the  said 
place  as  soon  thereafter  as  may  be  convenient  ;  and  the  Trustees 
who  may  then  be  in  ofifice  shall  continue  to  perform  the  duties 
thereof  until  their  places  shall  have  been  supplied. 

ARTICLE  III. 
The  duties,  powers,  and  functions  of  the  Trustees  herein  men- 
tioned, and  of  all  those  who  may  be  hereafter  appointed,  the 
mode  of  supplying  vacancies  in  office;  the  times  of  meeting  of 
said  corporation;  the  number  which  shall  constitute  the  quorum 
at  the  meetings  of  the  corporation,  and  of  the  Trustees  ;  and  all 
other  concerns  of  the  said  corporation  shall  be  regulated  by  the 
By-Laws  of  the  same,  hereafter  to  be  made,  and  which  the  said 
corporation  is  hereby  authorized  and  empowered  to  make :  Pro- 
vided that  the  said  By-Laws  shall  not  be  inconsistent  with  this 
constitution,  the  Constitution  or  laws  of  the  State  of  Pennsyl- 
vania or  of  the  United  States. 

ARTICLE  IV. 

The  following  members  shall  be  Trustees,  to  act  until  an  elec- 
tion shall  be  held  by  the  corporation,  to  supply  their  places — 
viz.  :  William  Duncan,  John  Davis,  Elijah  Griffiths,  David 
Weatherly,  Henry  Benner,  Thomas  Brown,  William  S.  Hansell, 
Thomas  Wattson,  AVilliam  Moulder,  David  Johns,  Jesse  Miller, 
Benjamin  R.  Loxley,  John  Mulford,  Jr.,  James  fjird,  and  William 
S.  Cleavinger. 

The  above  Charter  bears  the  signatures  of  eighteen  "  mem- 
bers of  the  association  " — viz.  : 

Jno.  M.  Michael,  Nicholas  Harris,  Rob.  W.  Mill,  John  Reeds, 
Albert  S.  Beatty,  Josei^h  Morris,  Joseph  Shermer,  James  Bees- 
ley,  Joseph  Cox,  Jno.  C.  Dyer,  Peter  O.  Benner,  John  Hanna, 
Elias  Reynolds,  James  Williams,  W.  T.  Brantley,  Andrew 
Puynos,  B.  Rush  Rhees. 

Certified  by  the  Attorney  General. 
November  2j,  1828. 


AMENDED  CHARTER 

As  Adopted  January  io,  1S53.    Recorded  April  2,  1S53. 


"ARTICLE  I. 

"  This  Society,  consisting  of  all  such  persons  as  are  now  or  may 
hereafter  be  admitted  members  thereof,  shall  be  incorijorated 
under  the  name  and  style  of  'The  First  Baptist  Church  of  the 
City  of  Philadelphia,'  to  have  perj^etual  succession,  and  to  take, 
hold,  and  enjoy  lands,  tenements,  and  hereditaments,  rents, 
annuities,  and  franchises,  and  any  sum  and  sums  of  money  and 
any  manner  and  portion  of  goods  and  chattels,  and  the  same  to 
sell,  alien,  demise,  charge,  mortgage,  incumber,  or  otherwise 
dispose  of,  and  also  to  make  a  common  seal,  and  the  same  to 
alter  or  break  at  their  pleasure  :  Provided,  That  the  clear  yearly 
value  or  income  of  the  real  estate  held  by  them,  and  the  interest 
of  money  by  them  lent,  shall  not  exceed  the  sum  of  five  hun- 
dred pounds. 

"ARTICLE  11. 

"  The  secular  affairs  of  said  Church  shall  be  committed  to  the 
management  of  a  Board  of  fifteen  Trustees,  who  shall  be  elected 
annually  by  ballot  from  among  the  members  of  said  Church,  on 
the  Monday  immediately  following  the  second  Sabbath  of  Janu- 
ary in  each  and  every  year,  and  who  shall  hold  their  offices  for 
one  year  and  until  others  are  chosen  in  their  places:  Provided, 
That  if  during  the  said  year  they  or  any  of  them  should  be  ex- 
cluded or  suspended  from  the  privileges  of  said  Church  for  any 
cause  whatsoever,  they  shall  cease  to  be  Trustees,  and  their 
places  may  be  filled  in  such  manner  as  may  be  ]n-ovided  for  in 
the  By-Laws,  until  the  next  regular  election  of  Trustees:  Pro- 
vided, also.  That  if  the  election  shall  not  take  place  at  the  time 
appointed,  the  failure  shall  not  operate  to  destroy  this  charter, 
but  the  election  shall  be  held  as  soon   thereafter  as  may  be  con- 

419 


420  FIRST  BAPTIST  CHURCH. 

venient;  and  the  Trustees  who  may  then  be  in  office  shall  con- 
tinue to  perform  the  duties  thereof  until  their  places  shall  have 
been  supplied. 

"ARTICLE  III. 
"  The  Trustees  shall  have  power  to  purchase  any  property  for 
the  use  of  the  Corporation  and  in  their  discretion  mortgage  or 
otherwise  incumber  the  same,  under  the  direction  of  the  Society  ; 
also  to  sell  pews  and  give  sufficient  assurances  for  the  same,  to 
rent  i)e\vs,  to  collect  pew-rents,  receive  the  public  collections, 
keep  the  House  of  Worshi])  in  repair,  provide  for  the  i)ayment 
of  the  debts  of  the  Corijoration,  and  pay  the  salaries  of  the 
Pastor,  Organist,  and  Sexton,  and  all  other  the  duties,  powers, 
and  functions  of  the  Trustees  herein  mentioned  and  of  all  those 
who  may  be  hereafter  appointed,  not  specially  enumerated  ;  the 
mode  of  supplying  vacancies  in  office,  the  times  of  meeting  of 
said  Corporation,  the  numbers  which  shall  constitute  the  quorum 
at  the  meetings  of  the  Corporation  and  of  the  Trustees,  and  all 
the  other  concerns  of  the  said  Corporation  shall  be  regulated  by 
the  By-laws  of  the  same,  hereafter  to  be  made,  and  which  the 
said  Corporation  is  hereby  authorized  and  empowered  to  make  : 
Provided,  That  the  said  By-Laws  shall  not  be  inconsistent  with 
this  constitution,  the  Constitution  or  laws  of  the  State  of  Penn- 
sylvania or  of  the  United  States. 

"ARTICLE  IV. 

"The  presiding  officer  for- the  time  being,  of  the  Board,  shall 
have  the  custody  and  affix  the  seal  of  the  Corporation  attested 
by  his  signature  and  that  of  the  Secretary,  to  all  contracts, 
deeds,  obligations,  notes,  or  other  instruments  whereby  the 
said  Corporation  may  become  bound  or  indebted,  and  to  such 
other  certificates  and  testimonials  as  the  Board  may  direct,  and 
all  pews  shall  be  held  by  the  purchasers  subject  to  such  yearly 
rent,  restrictions,  regulations,  and  rules  of  transfer  as  the  said 
Board  may  enact. 

"ARTICLE  V. 

"  The  following  members  shall  be  Trustees  to  act  until  an  elec- 
tion shall  be  held  by  the  Corporation  to  supply  their  places,  viz.  : 


BICENTENNIAL    CELEBRATION.  421 

William  S.  Hansell,  Thomas  Wattson,  John  C.  Davis,  James  M. 
Bird,  Charles  H.  Auner,  Benjamin  R.  Loxley,  Thomas  S.  Fos- 
ter, Standish  F.  Hansell,  John  A.  Gendell,  Washington  Butcher, 
Isaac  H.  O'Harra,  Edwin  Hall,  Lewis  '1\  AValraven,  Stephen 
A.  Caldwell,  and  John  F.  Forepaugh." 


AMENDMENT. 

Adopted  October  18,  1889.    Recorded  November  29,  18 


"ARTICLE  11. 

"  The  secular  affairs  of  said  Church  shall  be  committed  to  the 
management  of  a  board  of  fifteen  Trustees,  the  majority  of 
whom  shall  be  lay  members  and  citizens  of  the  State  of  Penn- 
sylvania, five  of  whom  shall  be  annually  elected  by  ballot  from 
among  the  members  of  the  said  Church  on  the  Monday  imme- 
diately following  the  second  Sabbath  of  January  in  each  and 
every  year,  and  who  shall  hold  their  office  for  three  years,  or 
until  others  are  chosen  in  their  places: 

'^Provided,  That  at  the  first  election  ensuing  under  this  arti- 
cle there  shall  be  elected  the  entire  fifteen,  who  shall  thereupon 
determine  by  lot  which  five  shall  serve  for  two  years  and  which 
five  shall  serve  for  three  years : 

''And  Provided,  That  if,  during  the  said  term,  they,  or  any  of 
them,  shall  be  excluded  or  suspended  from  the  privileges  of  said 
Church  for  any  cause  whatever,  they  shall  cease  to  be  Trustees, 
and  their  ])laces  may  be  filled  in  such  manner  as  may  be 
provided  for  in  the  By-Laws  until  the  next  regular  election  of 
Trustees : 

''And  Provided,  That  if  the  election  of  Trustees  shall  not 
take  place,  in  any  case,  at  the  time  appointed,  the  failure  shall 
not  operate  to  destroy  this  charier,  but  the  election  shall  be 
held  as  soon  thereafter  as  may  be  convenient,  and  the  Trustees 
who  may  then  be  in  office  shall  continue  to  perform  the  duties 
thereof  until  their  i^laces  shall  have  been  sujjplied." 


CONSOLIDATION    OF    THE    BETH    EDEN    BAPTIST 

CHURCH  AND   THE    FIRST   BAPTIST 

CHURCH. 

Amended   Charter  as   Adopted  March  i,  1895.     Recorded   April  13,  1S95. 


By  decree  of  the  Court  of  Common  Pleas,  No.  2,  of  Phila- 
deli)hia  County  (as  of  December  Term,  1894,  No.  1225),  entered 
on  the  13th  day  of  April,  1895,  the  Beth  Eden  Baptist  Church 
of  Philadelphia  was  consolidated  and  merged  into  The  First 
Baptist  Church  of  the  City  of  Philadelphia,  with  all  its  rights, 
privileges,  properties,  franchises,  powers,  and  liabilities,  and  the 
charter  of  the  latter — originally  enrolled  in  the  office  of  the 
Secretary  of  the  Commonwealth  at  Harrisburg,  on  May  16, 
1829  ;  amended  April  2,  1853  ;  again  amended  November  29, 
1889 — was  further  amended,  the  terms,  limitations,  and  powers 
to  be  had  and  enjoyed  by  the  said  corporation  upon  and  after 
consolidation  being  as  follows: 

^''  First :  The  name  of  the  said  corporation  shall,  as  heretofore, 
be  'The  First  Baptist  Church  of  the  City  of  Philadelphia,' 
under  which  name  it  shall  have  perpetual  succession  and  shall, 
without  further  conveyance,  take,  have,  hold,  occupy,  and  enjoy 
all  the  property  of  every  kind  and  description  now  vested  in 
the  said  'The  Beth  Eden  Baptist  Church  of  Philadeli)hia,'  and 
shall  also  have,  hold,  occupy,  and  enjoy  all  the  property  now 
held  or  owned  by  the  said  '  The  First  Baptist  Church  of  the  City 
of  Philadelphia,'  and  such  other  property  as  may  hereafter  be 
acquired  for  its  purposes,  not  exceeding  the  amount  limited  by 
law,  which  property  now  owned  by  either  of  said  present  cor- 
porations or  hereafter  to  be  acquired  shall  be  subject  to  the 
control  and  disposition  of  the  lay  members  of  the  Church.  The 
said  corporation  shall  also  have  all   other  powers  conferred  by 

422 


BI-CENTENNIAL    CELEBRATION.  423 

the  several  statutes  regulating  such   corporations    or  otherwise 
incident  thereto. 

''Second :  The  purpose  for  which  the  corporation  shall  exist  is 
the  worship  of  Almighty  God  according  to  the  faith,  discipline, 
usages,  and  forms  of  regular  Baptist  Churches ;  and  the  member- 
ship thereof  shall  consist  of  the  present  members  of  the  said 
'  The  First  Baptist  Church  of  the  City  of  Philadelphia '  and  of 
the  said  '  The  Beth  Eden  Baptist  Church  of  Philadelphia,'  and 
of  such  other  persons  as  may  from  time  to  time  be  admitted  to 
membershi]:)  in  such  manner  as  may  be  prescribed  by  its  By- 
Laws.  It  shall,  nevertheless,  have  .power  to  expel  and  exclude 
members  for  such  just  and  legal  causes  and  in  such  just  and  legal 
manner  as  may  be  prescribed  by  the  By-Laws. 

"  Third :  The  secular  affairs  of  said  Church  shall  be  committed 
to  the  management  of  a  Board  of  fifteen  Trustees,  at  least  two- 
thirds  of  whom  shall  lie  lay  members  of  the  Church  and  citizens 
of  the  State  of  Pennsylvania,  and  the  remainder,  being  not  more 
than  one-third  of  the  entire  number,  may  be  members  of  the 
congregation  who  are  not  members  of  the  Church.  Five  Trustees 
shall  be  annually  elected  on  the  Monday  immediately  following 
the  second  Sabbath  of  January  in  each  and  every  year,  and  shall 
hold  their  office  for  three  years,  or  until  others  are  chosen  in 
their  places. 

''Provided,  That  if  during  the  said  term  any  of  said  Trustees 
shall  be  excluded  or  suspended  from  the  privileges  of  said 
Church  for  any  cause  whatever,  or  shall  cease  to  be  members  of 
said  Church  or  congregation,  they  shall  cease  to  be  Trustees, 
and  their  places  may  be  filled  in  such  manner  as  may  be  pro- 
vided for  in  the  By-Laws  until  the  next  regular  election  of  Trus- 
tees : 

"And  Provided,  That  if  the  election  of  Trustees  shall  not  take 
place  in  any  case  at  the  time  appointed,  the  failure  shall  not 
operate  to  destroy  this  charter,  but  the  election  shall  be  held  as 
soon  thereafter  as  may  be  convenient,  and  the  Trustees  who  may 
then  be  in  office  shall  continue  to  perform  the  duties  thereof, 
until  their  places  shall  have  been  supplied.  The  members  of 
the  Board  of  Trustees  who  have  been  chosen  are  as  follows,  and 


424  FIRST  BAPTIST  CIIUKCIJ. 

at  the  first  meeting  of  the  said  Board  held  after  consolidation 
they  shall  determine  by  lot  which  five  of  their  number  shall 
serve  until  the  annual  Church  election  in  1896,  which  five  shall 
serve  until  the  annual  Church  election  in  1897,  and  which  five 
shall  serve  until  the  annual  Church  election  in  1898  : 

A'ames.  Residences. 

W.  A.  Levering, 1817  Vine  Street. 

W.  W.  Keen, 1729  Chestnut  Street. 

B.  O.  LoxLEY, 15 16  Green  Street. 

T.  Seymour  Scott, 434  ^'-  Thirty-third  Street. 

W.  H.   Ford, 1622  Summer  Street. 

Howard  B.  Martin,      1724  Green  Street. 

Ernest  L.  Tustin, Forty-first  and  Elm  Avenue. 

Matthew  Semple, 1902  Chestnut  Street. 

Benjamin  Githens, 327  S.  Sixteenth  Street. 

David  A.  Hunter,     ......  3637  Chestnut  Street. 

John  H.  Geyer, 4810  Chester  Avenue. 

Edwin  W.  Dukes, 1537  Christian  Street. 

William  S.  Haines, 1908  Green  Street. 

Chas.  F.  Morrison 912  Spruce  Street. 

James  F.  Hagen, 107  S.  Twenty-second  Street. 

'' Fou/ih  :  The  Trustees  shall  have  power  to  i)urchase  any  prop- 
erty for  the  use  of  the  corporation,  and  in  their  discretion  sell, 
mortgage,  or  otherwise  incumber  the  same,  under  the  direction 
of  the  Church  ;  also  to  rent  pews,  to  collect  pew-rents,  receive 
the  public  collections,  keep  the  house  of  worship  in  repair,  pro- 
vide for  the  ijayment  of  the  debts  of  the  corporation,  and  ])ay 
the  salaries  of  the  pastor,  organist,  and  sexton,  and  all  other 
the  duties,  powers,  and  functions  of  the  Trustees  herein  men- 
tioned and  of  all  those  who  may  be  hereafter  appointed,  not 
specially  enumerated.  The  mode  of  supplying  vacancies  in 
office,  the  times  of  meeting  of  said  corporation  and  of  the 
Trustees,  the  number  which  shall  constitute  a  quorum  at  the 
meetings  of  the  corporation  and  of  the  Trustees,  and  all  the 
other  concerns  of  the  said  corporation  shall  be  regulated  by  the 
By-Laws  of  the  same  now  made  or  hereafter  to  be  made,  and 
which  the  said  corporation  is  hereby  authorized  and  empowered 


BI-CENTENNIAL    CELEBRATION.  42S 

to  make,  provided  that  the  said  By-Laws  shall  not  be  inconsistent 
with  this  charter,  the  Constitution  or  laws  of  the  State  of  Penn- 
sylvania or  of  the  United  States. 

''Fifth  :  The  presiding  officer  for  the  time  being  of  the  Board 
shall  have  the  custody  and  affix  the  seal  of  the  corporation, 
attested  by  his  signature  and  that  of  the  Secretary,  to  all  con- 
tracts, deeds,  obligations,  notes  or  other  instruments  whereby 
the  said  corporation  may  become  bound  or  indebted,  and  to 
such  other  certificates  and  testimonials  as  the  Board  may  direct." 


BY-LAWS 


FIRST  BAPTIST  CHURCH  OF  THE  CITY  OF  PHILADELPHIA 


T]ie  Members  of  flu's  Cliiircli  sliall  consist  of  Persons  consenting 
to  its  Doctrines  and  Regulations,  and  wlio  have  l>y  vote  of  the 
Church  been  received  into  its  Organization. 


ARTICLE  L 

MEMBERSHIP. 

Section  i. — Persons  professing  faith  in  tlie  Lord  Jesus  Christ, 
giving  evidence  of  a  change  of  heart,  and  adopting  the  views  of 
doctrine  and  practice  held  by  this  Church,  as  set  forth  in  its 
"  Summary  of  Faith,"  may,  upon  relation  of  their  Christian 
experience  and  submission  to  the  ordinance  of  baptism,  be 
received  into  its  membership. 

Sec.  2. — Candidates  for  admission  by  baptism  shall  not  be 
brought  before  the  Church  to  relate  their  Christian  experience 
until  the  Pastor  and  Deacons  shall  be  satisfied  that  their  conver- 
sion is  genuine,  and  that  their  walk  and  conversation  are  becom- 
ing a  Christian  profession.  The  question  of  their  reception 
shall  not  be  taken  in  their  presence. 

Sec.  3. — Each  applicant  for  membership  shall  agree  to  the 
following  Covenant : 

To  the  Members  of  the  First  Baptist  Church,  Philadelphia. 

Having  accepted  Christ  as  my  personal  Saviour,  and  in  sym- 
pathy with    the    tenets  of  the  Baptist  denomination,   I  hereby 

426 


BICENTENNIAL    CELEBRATION.  427 

make  application  for  membership  with  you  (by  letter,  experi- 
ence, or  baptism).  If  received  into  your  fellowship,  I  shall 
endeavor  to  lead,  in  all  respects,  a  Christian  life  j  to  advance, 
as  best  I  can,  the  interest  of  the  Church,  praying  for  its  peace 
and  laboring  for  its  growth  ;  and  I  pledge  to  contribute  consci- 
entiously, as  the  Lord  prospers  me,  toward  the  current  expenses 
of  the  Church  and  the  spread  of  Christ's  cause  on  earth. 

Name 

Address 


Sec.  4. — Members  of  other  Baptist  Churches  of  the  same  faith 
and  order  may  be  received  into  membership  with  this  Church 
upon  letters  of  dismission  from  their  respective  Churches. 

Sec.  5. — Persons  who  have  been  members  of  regular  Baptist 
Churches,  but  who,  in  consequence  of  peculiar  circumstances, 
can  obtain  no  regular  letters  of  dismission,  may  be  received  on 
relation  of  their  Christian  experience  and  by  giving  satisfactory 
evidence  of  Christian  character. 

Sec.  6. — No  person  shall  be  received  into  the  fellowship  of 
this  Church  to  whose  admission  any  five  members  may  object : 
Provided,  nevertheless,  That  in  case  any  member  voting  in  the 
affirmative  should  call  for  the  objections,  it  shall  be  the  duty  of 
those  voting  in  the  negative  to  state  them  privately  to  the  Pastor 
and  Deacons,  who  shall  report  thereon  to  the  Church,  after 
which  the  question  of  admission  may  be  decided  by  a  majority 
vote  at  any  business  meeting. 

Sec.  7. — Any  member  of  the  Church  desiring  to  unite  with 
any  other  Baptist  Church  may  be  granted  a  letter  of  dismission 
thereto  by  vote  of  the  Church,  provided  that  all  applications  for 
letters  of  dismission  from  this  Church  and  all  letters  of  dismis- 
sion from  regular  Baptist  Churches  to  this  Church  shall  be  ap- 
proved by  the  Pastor  and  Deacons  before  they  are  presented  to 
the  Church. 

Sec.  8. — It  shall  be  the  duty  of  members  residing  at  such  a 
distance  as  to  render  attendance  at  the  Church  services  imprac- 


428  FIRST  BAPTIST  CIIUKCH. 

ticable  to  take  letters  of  dismission  to  some  Church  more  con- 
veniently located. 

Sec.  9. — No  letter  of  dismission  shall  be  granted,  nor  shall  the 
Church  clerk  issue  such  to  any  member  who  is  in  arrears  to  the 
Church,  unless  otherwise  recommended  by  the  Deacons. 

Sec.  10. — Should  any  member  in  good  standing  express  to  the 
Pastor  and  Deacons  his  purpose  to  unite  with  an  Evangelical 
Church  not  Baptist,  and  request  a  letter,  the  Pastor  is  authorized 
to  furnish  him  a  letter  of  personal  commendation. 

Sec.  II. — P2ach  member  of  the  Church  is  expected  to  contri- 
bute to  its  support  according  to  his  or  her  ability,  unless  excused 
by  the  Deacons. 

Sec.  12. — No  member  under  the  age  of  twenty-one  years,  nor 
any  member  who  is  not  in  good  and  regular  standing,  shall 
have  the  right  to  vote  at  any  election  of  Trustees,  or  upon  any 
question  relating  to  the  management  or  disposition  of  the  Church 
or  Trust  property. 

ARTICLE  II. 

FORFEITURE    OF    MEMBERSHIP. 

Section  i. — Membership  shall  be  forfeited  only  on  a  recom- 
mendation of  the  Deacons,  stating  the  section  and  the  clause  in 
the  By-Laws  under  which  action  shall  be  taken  by  the  Church  at 
any  stated  business  meeting,  two-thirds  of  the  votes  cast  being 
necessary  for  such  action. 

The  initiative  in  the  investigation  shall  be  taken  by  the  Pastor 
and  Deacons,  who,  by  a  committee,  shall  visit,  or  in  writing 
communicate  with,  the  member  under  investigation,  stating 
definitely  that  unless  satisfactory  reasons  are  given,  his  case  will 
be  brought  up  at  the  next  quarterly  business  meeting  of  the 
Church,  thus  giving  him  opportunity  to  show  cause  why  member- 
shi])  shall  not  be  forfeited. 

Whenever  the  addresses  of  members  can  not  by  reasonable 
inquiry  be  ascertained  by  the  Pastor  and  Deacons,  a  written 
request,  to  which  attention  shall  be  called  at  no  less  than  two 
devotional  services,  shall  be  displayed  in  a  conspicuous  part  of 
the  Church  edifice   for  at   least  one  month,  asking  for  the  ad- 


BI-CENTENXIAL    CELEBRATION.  429 

dresses  of  tlie  members  in  ([iiestion.  If  they  have  been  con- 
nected with  an}-  Mission  interest  of  the  Church,  the  same 
method  shall  be  pursued  at  the  meeting-place  of  said  Mission. 

Sec.  2. — Forfeiture  of  membership  shall  be  by  exclusion  or 
droi)ping — viz.  : 
By  exclusion  : 

{a)  For  any  outward  violation  of  the  moral  law. 
{li)  For  pursuing   any  course  of  conduct   unbecoming   pro- 
fessing Christians,  or  which  may,  in  the  judgment  of  the 
Church,  be  disreputable  to  it  as  a  body. 
By  dropping  : 

{c)   For  holding  and  advocating  doctrines  opposed  to  those 

set  forth  in  the  "  Summary  of  Faith." 
(^d)  For  neglect  or  refusal  to  contribute   toward   defraying 
the   expenses  of  the   Church,  according    to   their  several 
abilities. 
{e)   For  habitual  absence  from  the  Church,  without  good 

reasons,  at  the  seasons  set  apart  for  public  worship. 
(/)  For  absence  from  the  Church  for  more  than  two  years 
without  any  report  or  information  being  conveyed  to  the 
Pastor  or  Deacons. 
(^g)  For  uniting  with  any  Evangelical  Church   not  Baptist, 
in  which  cases  the  name  of  the  Church  and  denomination 
with    which    the    member    becomes    identified    shall    be 
recorded  on  the  Church  register. 
Sec.  3. — Any  person   deprived   of  membership  by  the  pro- 
visions of  this  article  may  be  reinstated,  by  vote  of  the  Church, 
on   a  recommendation  of  the  Deacons,  should  satisfactory  evi- 
dence of  repentance   for   misdemeanor  be  given,  or  should  the 
Church  consider  that  the  reasons  for  such  forfeiture  of  member- 
ship are  no  longer  operative. 

ARTICLE  III. 

OFFICERS  AND  COMMITTEES. 

Section   i. — The  officers  of  this   Church  (who  shall   be,  or 
become,    members  thereof,    except   in   the   case  of  Trustees,    as 


430  FIRST  BAPTIST  CHURCH. 

provided  in  tlie  Charter)  sliall  consist  of  Pastor,  Deacons, 
Deaconesses,  fifteen  Trnstees,  Treasurer,  Cleric,  Assistant  Clerk, 
and  Ushers. 

The  Standing  Committees  shall  be  an  Auditing  Committee, 
and  those  on  Contributions  for  Benevolence,  Contributions  for 
Church  Support,  Music,  and  Supervision  of  Missions,  and  such 
other  committees  as  may  from  time  to  time  be  deemed  desirable 
for  the  enlarged  activity  of  the  Church.  By  special  action  of 
the  Church  an  Associate  Pastor  may  be  called  to  aid  the  Pastor 
in  the  performance  of  his  duties. 

Sec.  2.  —  TJie  Pastor. — Whenever  the  Pastorate  shall  become 
vacant  it  shall  be  the  duty  of  the  Church,  without  unnecessary 
delay,  to  invite  some  minister  of  the  Gospel  of  the  same  faith 
and  order,  of  good  reputation,  to  fill  the  vacancy;  but  no 
election  of  a  Pastor  shall  take  place  without  notice  from  the 
pulpit  having  been  given  on  the  two  preceding  Lord's  Days, 
and  at  least  two-thirds  of  all  the  votes  cast  at  the  election  shall 
be  necessary  to  a  choice.  The  duties  of  the  Pastor  shall  be  such 
as  usually  jjertain  to  this  office. 

Sec.  3. — Deacons. — The  Church  shall  elect  Deacons  whenever 
vacancies  may  occur,  or  whenever  it  may  be  deemed  necessary. 
Every  election  for  Deacons  shall  be  preceded  by  public  notice 
from  the  pulpit  of  at  least  two  weeks,  and  during  the  interim 
there  shall  be  held  a  special  season  of  prayer,  invoking  divine 
guidance  in  the  choice;  and  two-thirds  of  all  the  votes  cast 
shall  be  required  for  an  election. 

The  Deacons  shall  be  associated  with  the  Pastor  in  the  charge 
of  the  spiritual  interests  of  the  Church,  the  administration  of 
the  ordinances,  and  the  visitation  of  the  sick;  they  shall  make 
disbursements  of  the  Poor  Funds  of  the  Church,  and  report  the 
amount  quarterly  to  the  Trustees,  who  shall  thereupon  draw  an 
order  or  orders  on  the  Treasurer  for  the  same. 

The  Pastor  and  Deacons  shall  examine  all  candidates  for 
admission  to  membershij),  and  no  vote  shall  be  taken  on  the 
reception  of  any  candidate  until  they  shall  have  reported 
favorably;  candidates  for  admission  by  baptism  shall  appear 
before  the  Pastor  and  Deacons  at  two  meetings  duly  called  for 
the  i)urpose  before  recommendation  to  the  Church. 


BI-CENTENNIAL    CELEBRATION.  431 

The  Deacons  shall  distinctly  enjoin  npon  all  i)ersons  con- 
necting themselves  with  the  Church  the  duty  of  contributing 
regularly  to  its  support,  in  accordance  with  the  Church  Cove- 
nant. 

Sec.  4.  —  Trustees. — The  Trustees  shall  hold  in  trust  the 
property  of  the  Church,  and,  except  as  otherwise  provided,  shall 
arrange  for  the  investment  and  disbursement  of  its  funds  and 
the  collection  of  its  revenues.  They  shall  hold  stated  meetings 
monthly  (five  members  constituting  a  quorum),  and  at  the 
annual  meeting  of  the  Church  present  a  report  of  their  i)ro- 
ceedings.  No  moneys  shall  be  paid  out  of  the  Church  treasury 
except  upon  orders  passed  by  them  and  certified  to  by  their 
President  and  Secretary. 

Sec.  5.  —  Treasurer. — The  Treasurer  shall  receive  all  moneys 
accruing  and  contributed  to  the  Church,  and  pay  all  orders 
drawn  on  him  by  the  Trustees.  He  shall  keep  regular  and 
separate  accounts  of  each  fund  intrusted  to  his  care,  make 
monthly  report  to  the  Trustees,  and  at  the  annual  meeting  of 
the  Church  present  a  statement  of  all  moneys  received  and  jjaid 
during  the  year,  and  a  statement  of  the  Poor  and  Trust  funds, 
together  with  a  record  of  the  Contributions  for  Benevolence  as 
reported  to  him  by  the  respective  committees.  His  accounts 
shall  be  audited  by  the  committee  elected  for  that  purpose. 

Sec.  6. — Clerk  and  Assistant  Clerk. — The  Clerk  shall  keep  an 
exact  record  of  all  the  business  meetings  of  the  Church,  and  read 
the  same  for  approval  at  the  quarterly  meetings.  He  shall  also 
keep  an  accurate  register  of  the  members,  prepare  letters  of  dis- 
mission, and  perform  all  other  duties  usually  pertaining  to  this 
office.  The  Assistant  Clerk  shall  perform  the  duties  of  Clerk  in 
his  absence  and  aid  him  in  his  labors. 

Sec.  7. — The  Ushers  shall  welcome  strangers,  provide  them 
with  seats,  and  collect  the  offerings  at  the  regular  Sunday  ser- 
vices. 

Sec.  8. — The  Auditing  Committee  (no  member  of  which  shall 
be  a  member  of  the  Board  of  Trustees)  shall  audit  all  accounts 
and  report  at  the  annual  meeting. 

Sec.  9. — The  Committee  on   Contributions  for  Church  Sup- 


432  FIRST  BAPTIST  CHUKCIJ. 

port  shall  have  charge  of  the  offerings,  other  than  pew-rents, 
for  the  maintenance  of  the  Church  and  Sunday-schools,  and  by  a 
thorough  canvass  endeavor  to  secure,  by  the  envelope  system  or 
by  other  means,  systematic  contributions  from  all  members  of, 
and  regular  attendants  at,  the  Church,  except  as  provided  in  Arti- 
cle I,  Section  ii.  Careful  records  of  the  amounts  and  sources 
of  all  contributions  shall  be  kept,  and  reports  thereon  made  to 
the  Church  and  to  the  Trustees  at  their  stated  meetings  for  busi- 
ness. All  funds  received  shall  be  paid  to  the  Treasurer  monthly. 
Sec.  io. — The  Committee  on  Music  shall  have  charge  of  the 
music  for  all  the  services  of  the  Church,  but  shall  make  no  con- 
tracts respecting  the  same  without  the  api)roval  of  the  Trustees. 

ARTICLE  IV. 

MEETINGS. 

Section  i. — The  stated  meetings  of  the  Church  for  the  trans- 
action of  business  shall  be  held  quarterly,  in  January,  April, 
July,  and  October,  on  the  evening  of  the  iVlonday  following  the 
second  Lord's  Day  in  the  month,  the  meeting  in  January  being 
the  annual  meeting. 

Sec.  2. — Special  meetings  may  be  called  by  the  Pastor,  or  at 
the  request  in  writing  of  five  members;  Provided,  always,  that 
the  call  shall  be  read  from  the  puljiit  at  the  regular  meetings  for 
worship  on  the  Lord's  Day  previous,  the  object  of  the  meeting 
being  stated  in  the  call. 

Sec.  3. — At  all  business  meetings  of  the  Church  twenty-one 
members  shall  constitute  a  quorum. 

Sec.  4. — Members  may  be  received,  Church  letters  granted, 
delegates  to  councils,  associations,  etc.,  appointed,  at  any  devo- 
tional or  business  meeting  of  the  Church. 

Sec.  5. — At  the  annual  meeting  there  shall  be  elected  by 
ballot  the  following :  five  Trustees,  a  Treasurer  (who  shall  also 
be  Treasurer  of  the  Trustees),  a  Clerk,  an  Assistant  Clerk,  not 
fewer  than  twelve  Ushers,  an  Auditing  Committee  of  three,  a 
Committee  on  Music  of  nine,  a  Committee  on  Contributions 
for  Church   Sujjport  of   twenty-five,  for  each  of  the  Contribu- 


B I- CENTENNIAL    CELEBRATION.  433 

tions  for  Iknevolence  a  Committee  of  three,  and  for  each  Mis- 
sion of  the  Church  a  Committee  of  Supervision  of  five. 

The  term  of  office  of  the  Trustees  so  elected  shall  be  three 
years.  The  terms  of  all  other  officers  shall  be  one  year,  or  until 
their  successors  shall  be  elected. 

The  Treasurer  shall  be  eligible  to  the  office  of  Trustee,  but 
when  not  a  member  of  the  Board  of  Trustees  by  election,  he 
shall  be  ex  offiiio  a  member  thereof,  though  not  then  entitled  to 
a  vote. 

Should  a  vacancy  occur  during  the  term  of  any  of  the  officers 
provided  for  in  this  section,  it  may  be  filled  at  any  business 
meeting  of  the  Church — previous  notice  of  such  jjroposed  elec- 
tion having  been  given  from  the  pulpit  at  the  stated  meetings 
for  worshij)  on  the  Lord's  Day  previous. 

Sec.  7. — The  Pastor  shall  be  the  recognized  Moderator  at  all 
business  meetings. 

The  order  of  business  at  the  stated  meetings  shall  be  as  follows  : 

1 .  Prayer. 

2.  Reading  and  ajiproval  of  minutes. 

3.  Reports    (of    Treasurer,    Trustees,    Committees,    and 

Sunday-school   Superintendents  at  the  annual  meet- 
ings). 

4.  Unfinished  business. 

5.  New    business    (elections    and     appointments    at    the 

annual  meeting  having  priority). 

6.  Closing  prayer. 

Sec.  8. — The  Church  shall  meet  each  Lord's  Day,  morning 
and  evening,  for  public  worship  of  Almighty  God,  and  at  least 
one  evening  in  every  week  for  social  prayer  and  conference  ; 
but  any  of  these  services  may  be  temporarily  discontinued  by 
vote  of  the  Church. 

Sec.  9. — The  ordinance  of  the  Lord's  SuiJiier  shall  be  ob- 
served on  the  first  Lord's  Day  in  each  month,  at  the  close  of  the 
morning  service. 

Sec.  10. — The  day  on  which  occurs  the  last  regular  prayer- 
meeting  service  in  each  January  shall  be  known  and  observed  as 
the  Annual  Church  Day  of  prayer. 

28 


434  FIRST  BAPTIST  CHURCH. 


ARTICLE  V. 

CONTRIBUTIONS  FOR  BENEVOLENCE. 

Section  i. — Recognizing  tlie  duty  of  all  members  of  the 
Church  to  contribute  systematically  and  according  to  their 
ability  to  the  leading  objects  of  Christian  benevolence,  and  to 
afford  an  opportunity  to  fulfil  their  obligations  in  this  particu- 
lar, the  offerings  taken  on  the  third  Sunday  of  the  months  enu- 
merated below  shall  be  appropriated  as  follows : 

American  Baptist  Home  Mission  Society,  January. 

American  Baptist  Publication  Society,  February. 

American  Baptist  Missionary  Union,  March. 

Pennsylvania  Baptist  State  Mission,  Ai)ril. 

Baptist  Orphanage,  May. 

Sunday-schools,  October. 

Philadelphia  Baptist  City  Mission,  November. 

Pennsylvania  Baptist  Education  Society,  December. 
Sec.  2. — The  Coinmittee  annually  elected  for  each  of  the 
above  objects  shall  devise  plans  for  increasing  the  contributions, 
have  general  oversight  of  the  same,  promptly  pay  them  to  the 
proper  authorities,  and  hand  the  receipts  to  the  Treasurer  of  the 
Church  for  record. 

Sec.  3. — Collections  for  other  objects  of  Christian  benevo- 
lence may  be  taken  at  any  time,  upon  recommendation  of  the 
Pastor  and  Deacons. 

ARTICLE  VI. 

MISSIONS. 

Section  i. — The  Church  favors  and  will  encourage  the  estab- 
lishment of  Missions  for  the  maintenance  of  Bible  Schools, 
Preaching  Stations,  or  other  Christian  enteri)rises  in  the  desti- 
tute and  otherwise  unoccupied  portions  of  the  city,  regard  being 
had  in  the  location  of  each  mission  to  the  probability  of  estab- 
lishing a  permanent  and  self  sustaining  interest. 

Sec.  2. — The  Church,  at  its  annual  meeting,  shall  api)oint  for 
each  of  its  Missions  a  Committee  of  Supervision,  consisting  of 


BICENTENNIAL    CELEBRATION.  435 

five  (at  least  two  of  whom  shall  be  in  active  connection  with  the 
Mission),  to  have  general  superintendence  of  the  affairs  thereof, 
see  that  it  is  conducted  with  good  judgment  and  in  harmony 
with  Baptist  usages  and  polity,  and  in  accordance  with  the  re- 
(juirements  of  the  Church.  It  shall  be  the  medium  of  commu- 
nication between  the  Mission  and  the  Church,  present  at  each 
annual  Church  Meeting  a  report  of  the  financial  and  spiritual 
condition  of  the  Mission,  and  keep  the  Church  informed  of  its 
progress  and  general  welfare. 

Sec.  3. — Details  of  management  shall  be  left  to  such  organi- 
zation as  the  members  of  each  Mission  may  arrange,  subject  to 
the  control  of  the  Church. 

Sec.  4. — Each  Mission  is  authorized  to  recommend  to  the 
Church  for  membership  such  persons  as,  in  accordance  with 
Article  I  of  the  By-Laws,  shall  be  qualified  for  membership, 
having  been  previously  examined  as  provided  in  Article  III, 
Sec.  3. 

Sec.  5. — Each  Mission  shall  exercise  a  watchful  and  faithful 
oversight  of  its  members,  maintain  Gospel  order  and  a  consistent 
walk;  but  dismissal  by  letter  or  otherwise,  and  forfeiture  of 
membership,  shall  only  be  by  special  action  of  the  Church,  upon 
recommendation  of  the  Mission  with  which  the  member  affected 
by  the  proposed  action  is  connected. 

Sec.  6. — When  specially  authorized  by  Church  action,  any 
Mission  connected  with  this  Church  may  be  empowered,  as  an 
out-station  or  branch  of  this  Church,  to  administer  the  ordi- 
nances of  Baptism  and  the  Lord's  Supper,  according  to  the 
usages  of  the  Baptist  denomination,  and  on  behalf  of  the  Church 
give  the  hand  of  fellowship  to  all  persons  desiring  it  who  have 
previously  been  received  into  its  membership. 

Sec.  7. — Each  Mission,  subject  to  the  approval  of  the  Church, 
is  authorized  to  choose  a  Pastor  (who  shall  be,  or  become,  a 
member  of  this  Church)  and  to  fix  his  salary. 

Sec.  8. — Each  Mission,  by  special  action  of  this  Church,  may 
be  authorized  to  elect  Deacons  for  services  on  its  own  field  only. 
Such  election  shall  be  in  accordance  with  Article  III,  Sec.  3, 
and  subject  to  the  approval  of  the  Church. 


436  J-IRST  BAPTIST  CIIURLTI. 

Sec.  9. — The  financial  support  of  each  Mission  shall  be  based 
on  such  plans  as  are  or  may  be  adopted  by  the  Church  for  the 
government  of  that  particular  Mission.  Members  of  the  Church 
connecting  themselves  with  any  of  its  Missions  may  transfer 
to  it  their  obligations  to  contribute  to  the  support  of  the  Church. 

Sec.  10. — No  pecuniary  obligation  in  connection  with  any 
Mission  shall  be  binding  upon  the  Church  except  such  as  shall 
first  be  fully  approved  and  accepted  by  the  Church,  and  no  con- 
struction shall  be  put  upon  any  privilege  or  authority  conveyed 
by  this  Article  contrary  to  the  Charter  and  By-Laws  of  the 
Church  ;  it  being  understood  that  Missions  connected  with  this 
Church  shall  be  subject  to  its  control  in  all  regards. 

ARTICLE  VIL 

ALTERATIONS  OR  AMENDMENTS. 

Any  proposed  alteration  or  amendment  of  these  By-Laws  must 
be  presented  in  writing  at  a  stated  business  meeting  of  the 
Church,  and  the  vote  on  such  alteration  or  amendment  to  be 
taken  at  a  business  meeting  not  earlier  than  one  month  from 
the  day  of  its  presentation,  when  two-thirds  of  all  the  votes  cast 
shall  be  necessary  for  its  adoption. 


APPENDIX  B. 

(Page  17.) 


PENNEPEK    CHURCH. 


Morgan  Edwards^  thus  describes  the  Pennepek  Church  : 
"This  is  the  first  church  in  the  province  of  any  note  and 
permanency;  for  that  gathered  at  Coldspring  in  1684  broke  up 
in  1702.  It  is  distinguished  from  its  sister  churches  by  the 
above  name  of  Pennepek  (formerly  written  Pemmepeka)  which 
is  the  name  of  a  little  river  running  near  the  place  of  worship. 
The  house  is  a  neat  stone  building  t,^  feet  by  30,  with  pews, 
galleries,  and  a  stove.  In  one  corner  of  it  stands  the  pulpit, 
and  the  galleries  in  the  opposite  angles  which  is  worth  noticing 
because  hereby  are  remedied  the  usual  inconveniences  attending 
galleries  in  small  places  of  worship.  .  .  .  In  the  year  1687 
Reverend  Elias  Reach  of  London  came  among  them  and  bai)- 
tized  one  Joseph  Ashton  and  Jane  his  wife,  William  Fisher  and 
John  Watts  which  increased  their  number  to  twelve  souls 
including  the  minister.'  These  twelve  did  by  mutual  consent 
form  themselves  into  a  church  in  the  month  of  January,  1688, 
choosing  Mr.  Reach  to  be  their  minister,  and  Samuel  Vans  to 
be  deacon.  Soon  after,  the  few  emigrated  Baptists  in  this 
province  and  Westjersey  did  join  them;  also  those  whom  Mr. 
Reach  baptized  at  the  Falls,  Coldspring,  Burlington,  Cohansey, 

1  "  Materials,"  etc. ,  p.  6. 

2  [The  others  were  John   Eaton,  George  Eaton  and  Jane  his   wife,  Sarah 
Eaton,  Samuel  Jones,  John  Baker  and  Samuel  Vans.] 

437 


438  FIRST  BAPTIST  CHURCH. 

Salem,  Pennsneck,  Chester,  Philadelphia,  and  so  forth.  They 
were  all  one  church,  and  Pennepek  the  center  of  union  where 
as  many,  as  could,  met  to  celebrate  the  memorials  of  Christ's 
death  ;  and  for  the  sake  of  distant  members  they  administered 
the  ordinance  quarterly  at  Burlington,  Cohansey,  Chester  and 
Philadelphia:  which  quarterly  meetings  have  since  transformed 
into  three  yearly  meetings  and  an  association." 


APPENDIX   C. 

(Page  20.) 


THE    PRESBYTERIANS. 


Morgan  Edwards  ^  gives  the  following  correspondence  with 
the  Presbyterians  : 

"  It  was  observed  in  p.  45  that  the  baptists  of  Philadelphia,  did 
hold  their  worship  at  a  store  house  on  Barbadoes  lot  whither 
the  few  Presbyterians,  then  in  town,  did  resort  to  hear  baptist 
ministers;  and  where  they  were  received  with  courtesy  and 
brotherly  love  for  the  space  of  about  three  years.  Within  that 
time  the  latter  increased,  and  had  a  minister  of  their  own,  and 
then  soon  began  to  discover  an  unwillingness  that  baptist  min- 
isters should  preach  in  the  house  any  longer,  though  the  baptists 
had  a  better  right  to  it  because  of  prior  occupancy  ;  and  further 
than  occupancy  neither  could  lay  claim  thereto,  the  building 
being  the  property  of  traders  who  had  quitted  the  town.  The 
following  papers  relate  to  the  affair,  and  may  be  depended  upon, 
as  they  are  extant  in  the  handwriting  of  Rev.  John  Watts. 

"  Upon  the  request  of  some  friends  about  the  2d.  month  in 
1695,  John  Watts  had  consented  to  preach  at  Philadelphia  every 
other  Lord's  Day,  and  had  so  continued  to  do  to  this  time  (1698) 
unless  prevented  by  a  hand  of  providence  ;  and  divers  of  the  per- 
sons who  came  to  that  assembly  were  presbyterians  in  judgment 
(they  having  no  minister  of  their  own,  and  we  having  hitherto 

"  Materials,"  p.  104. 
439 


440  FIRST  BAPTIST  CHURCH. 

made  no  scruple  of  holding  communion  with  them  in  the  public 
worship  of  God  and  common  duties  of  religion  nor  of  admitting 
their  ministers,  if  at  any  time  they  came  amongst  us,  to  pray  and 
preach  in  our  assemblies).  But  being  now  provided  with  a  min- 
ister from  Newengland  there  appeared  some  scruples  on  their 
side,  as  not  being  willing  to  condescend  so  far  to  us  or  to  allow 
our  ministers  the  like  liberty.  For  our  better  satisfaction  touch- 
ing their  judgment  in  this  point,  and  for  the  preservation  of  love 
and  unity  we  wrote  to  them  as  follows. 

"  'To  our  dear  and  well  beloved  friends  and  l)rethren  Mr. 
jedidiah  Andrews,  John  Crreen,  Joshuah  Story,  Samuel  Richard- 
son and  the  rest  of  the  presbyterian  judgment  belonging  to 
the  meeting  in  Philadelphia;  the  church  of  Christ  baptized  on 
confession  of  faith,  over  which  John  Watts  is  pastor,  send  saluta- 
tion of  grace,  mercy,  and  peace  from  God  our  father  and  from 
our  Lord,  Jesus  Christ— Dearly  beloved  I  Having  seriously  and 
in  the  fear  of  God  considered  our  duties  of  love  to  and  bearing 
with  one  another  and  receiving  the  weak  in  faith  ;  and  knowing 
that  love,  peace,  and  unity  tend  much  to  the  honor  of  Christ 
and  Christianity  and  to  the  conviction  and  conversion  of  sinners 
and  the  comfort  and  establishment  of  believers ;  and  being 
desirous  of  your  company  heavenward  as  far  as  may  be,  and  as 
much  as  we  can  to  heal  the  breach  betwixt  us  occasioned  by  our 
difference  in  judgment  (none  being  yet  perfect  in  knowledge) 
we  have  thought  it  necessary  to  make  to  you  this  proposition 
following  for  peace  (as  being  the  necessary  term  upon  which  we 
may  safely,  comfortably,  and  peaceably  hold  christian  com- 
munion together  in  the  things  wherein  we  agree  in  the  ])ublic 
worship  of  God  and  common  duties  of  religion,  as  in  prayer, 
preaching,  praising  God,  reading  and  hearing  the  word)  viz.: 
We  do  freely  confess  and  promise  for  ourselves  that  we  can  and 
do  own  and  allow  of  your  approved  ministers  who  are  fitly  quali- 
fied and  found  in  the  faith  and  of  holy  lives  to  preach  and  pray 
in  your  assemblies.  If  you  can  also  freely  confess  and  promise 
for  yourselves  that  you  can  and  will  own  and  allow  of  our 
approved  ministers  who  are  fitly  qualified  and  found  in  the  faith 
and  of  holy  lives  to  preach  and  pray  in  your  assemblies  ;   that  so 


BI-CENTENNIAL    CELEBRATION.  44i 

each  side  may  own,  embrace  and  accei)t  of  one  another  as  fellow 
brethren  and  in  ministers  of  Christ ;  and  hold  and  maintain 
Christian  communion  and  fellowshi]).  Unto  which  proposition 
for  peace  (that  further  disputes  and  vain  janglings  may  be  pre- 
vented) we  shall  desire,  if  you  please,  your  plain  and  direct 
answer ;  and  it  may  be  by  the  fourth  day  of  November,  and  left 
for  us  at  the  widow  Elton's  house  in  Philadelphia.  Subscribed 
in  behalf  of  the  rest  the  30th  of  the  8th  month,  1698. 

"  '  John  Watts         Thomas  Birr 
"  '  Samuel  Jones      Thomas  Potts 
"  '  George  Eaton  '  " 

"  To  this  letter  the  presbyterians  returned  the  following  answer, 
but  not  in  sincerity  how  goodly  soever  their  words  may  be. 

•'  'To  the  church  of  Christ  over  which  Mr.  John  Watts  is 
pastor,  we,  whose  names  are  underwritten  do  send  salutation  in 
our  Lord  Jesus  Christ— Brethren  and  well  beloved — For  as  much 
as  some  of  you  in  the  name  of  the  rest  have  in  a  friendly  manner 
sent  us  your  desire  of  imity  and  communion  in  the  things  of 
God  as  far  as  we  agree  in  judgment  that  we  may  lovingly  go  to- 
gether heavenward  we  do  gladly  and  gratefully  receive  your 
proposal,  and  return  you  thanks  for  the  same,  and  bless  God 
who  hath  put  it  in  your  minds  to  endeavor  after  peace  and  con- 
cord ;  earnestly  desiring  that  your  request  may  have  a  good 
effect  which  may  be  for  the  edification  of  us  all,  that  we  may 
the  more  freely  perform  mutual  offices  of  love  one  towards  an- 
other for  our  furtherance  in  Christianity.  But  that  we  may  do 
what  we  do  safely  ;  and  for  our  more  efi'ectual  carrying  on  our 
aforementioned  desire  we  have  thought  it  might  be  profitable  to 
us  all  and  more  conducive  to  our  future  love  and  unity  that  we 
might  have  some  friendly  conference  concerning  those  affairs 
before  we  give  you  a  direct  answer  to  your  proposition  which, 
we  have  confidence,  you  will  not  deny.  And  in  iiursuance 
hereof  we  do  request  that  some  of  you  (who  you  think  best) 
would  meet  us  or  some   of  us   at   a   time  and   place   you   shall 


442  FIRST  BAPTIST  CHURCH. 

ai)point  that  what  we  may  agree  upon  may  be  done  in  order. 
Subscribed  in  the  name  of  the  rest,  Philadeli^liia,  November  3, 
1698. 

"' Jedidiah  Andrews  Herbert  Corry 

"'John  Green  John  Vanlear 

"  '  Samuel  Richardson  Daniel  Green 
"  '  David  Giffing  '  " 

"According  to  their  recpiest  for  a  meeting  of  conference  we 
ai)pointed  tlie  19th  of  the  9th  month  for  tliat  puri)ose  at  their  and 
hitherto  our  common  meeting  house  in  Philadeljihia  near  Mr. 
Andrews's  lodgings,  and  acquainted  some  of  the  subscribers 
thereof;  and  accordingly  three  of  us  went  to  town  to  hear  what 
they  had  to  proi)ose  to  us.  And  early  in  the  morning,  we  sent 
word  to  Mr.  Andrews  desiring  his  and  their  company  ;  but  he 
excused  himself  with  saying  that  he  knew  it  not  to  be  the  day  but 
took  it  to  be  the  second  day  after.  Having  tarried  till  near  sun 
set ;  and  understanding  by  some  of  his  friends  how  the  matter 
was,  we  wrote  to  them  as  followeth. 

"  '  To  our  well  beloved  friends  and  brethren  in  Christ  Jesus, 
Mr.  Andrews,  Mr.  Giffing,  Mr.  Corry,  etc.,  grace  and  peace  be 
multiplied.  .  .  .  We  have  made  you  a  proposition  for  peace 
and  unity,  and  having  received  your  letter  wherein  you  desired 
of  us  first  some  friendly  conference  at  a  time  and  place  that  we 
should  think  convenient  l)efore  you  could  give  us  a  direct  answer; 
we  accordingly  appointed  this  day  in  this  place,  and  you  living 
near  together  we  expected  to  have  met  with  you  (upon  notice 
given)  that  we  might  hear  what  you  had  further  to  propose  to  us. 
But  for  as  much  as  we  missed  of  our  expectation  of  meeting 
and  confering  with  you  after  your  requesting  it  ;  and  consider- 
ing what  the  desires  of  divers  people  are  and  how  they  stand 
affected,  and  that  we  are  not  like  to  receive  answer  to  our  rea- 
sonable proposition  necessity  constrains  us  to  meet  apart  from 
you  until  such  time  as  we  receive  and  answer  and  are  assured 
that  you  can  own  us  so  as  we  can  do  you  ;  though  still  we  remain 
the  same   as   before  and  stand   by  what   we  have  written.      No 


BICENTENNIAL    CELEBRATION.  443 

more  at   present,  but   prayers  for  you,  and  dearest  loves  to  you 
in  Christ  Jesus.     Philadelphia,  Novem.  19,  1698. 

"  'John  Watts 
"  ' Samuel  Jones 
"  '  Evan  Morgan  '  " 

"  Whereupon  the  next  day  following  being  the  Lord's  day,  we 
met  apart  from  them.  .  .  .  This  was  what  the  ipresby- 
terians  wanted  in  reality,  as  more  i)lainly  api^eared  soon  after  ; 
particularly  in  a  letter  directed  to  one  Thomas  Revell  of  Bur- 
lington, and  signed,  Jedidiah  Andrews  wherein  are  these  words: 
'.  .  .  Though  we  have  got  the  Anabaptists  out  of  the  house 
yet  om-  continuance  there  is  uncertain  ;  and  therefore  must 
think  of  building  notwithstanding  our  poverty  and  the  small- 
ness  of  our  number.     .      .     .'  " 


APPENDIX  D, 

(Page  2U) 


THE   EPISCOPALIANS. 


Morgan    Edwards^   gives  the   following   letter    to   Rev.    Mr. 
Clayton  : 

"In  p.  62,  it  was  observed  that  the  episcopalians  possessed 
themselves  of  a  meeting  house  and  lot  belonging  to  the  baptists 
in  Oxford  township';  and,  in  p.  45,  that  they  attempted  a  like 
thing  -at  Philadelphia.  Prior  to  this  last,  Rev.  Mr.  Clayton 
(episcopal  minister  of  said  Philadelphia)  laboured  to  possess 
himself  of  the  baptist  congregation  in  the  same  city.  The  fol- 
lowing letter  (addressed  to  Mr.  Clayton)  will  give  as  good  a 
notion  of  the  affair  as  may  be  expected  at  this  distance  of 
time  : 

"  '^//-,— 

"  '  Whereas  we  received  a  letter  invitatory  from  you  to  return 
to  your  church  of  England  (dated  September  26,  1698)  wherein 
you  desire  us  to  send  you  in  humility  and  tvithout  prejudice  the 
objections  why  %ue  tnay  not  be  united  in  one  communion  ;  and  withal 
that  you  doubt  not  but  by  the  blessing  and  assistance  of  God,  you  zvill 
be  able  to  shoivthem  to  be  stumbling-blocks,  made  by  our  wills,  and 
not  by  our  reason;  and  some  of  us  in  behalf  of  the  rest  having,  on 
the  reception  thereof,  given  you  a  visit  and  had  discourse  with  you 
concerning  some  of  the  ceremonies  of  your  church  (about  which 
you  gave  no  satisfaction)  we  knew  not  that  you  expected  any 

1  "  Materials,"  etc.,  p.  99.  ^  [Trinity  Church,  Oxford.] 

444 


BI-CEXTENNIAL    CELEBRATION.  445 

other  answer  from  us  ;  but  in  your  late  letter  to  John  Watts  you 
signify,  that  you  have  received  no  answer  to  your  former  letter; 
we  therefore  taking  this  into  consideration  do  signify,  in  answer 
to  your  foresaid  invitation  and  proposal,  That  to  rend  from  a 
rightly  constituted  church  of  Christ  is  that  which  our  souls 
abhor;  and  that  love,  peace,  and  unity  with  all  christians  and 
concord  and  agreement  in  the  true  faith  and  worship  of  God  are 
that  which  we  greatly  desire  ;  and  we  should  be  glad  if  yourself 
or  others  would  inform  us  wherein  we  err  from  the  truth  and 
ways  of  Christ  ;  nor  are  we  at  all  averse  to  a  reconciliation  with 
the  church  of  England,  provided  it  =can  be  proved  by  the  holy 
scriptures  that  her  constitution,  orders,  officers,  worship,  and 
service  are  of  divine  appointment,  and  not  of  human  invention. 
And  since  you  yourself  are  the  person  who  hath  given  us  the 
invitation  and  hath  promised  to  %\\o\v  n?,  \.\\Q.i  our  objections  are 
stumbling  blocks  made  by  our  wills  and  not  by  our  reason  ;  and 
we  understanding  that  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ  is  the  only  head, 
king,  lord  and  lawgiver  of  his  church  whom  all  are  bound  to 
hear  and  obey  under  the  severe  penalty  of  an  utter  extirjjation 
from  among  the  people  of  God;  and  that  his  laws  and  will  are 
only  to  be  found  in  and  known  by  the  sacred  scriptures  which 
are  tlie  only  supreme,  sufficient  and  standing  rule  of  all  faith  and 
worship;  and  not  understanding  the  constitution  of  your  church 
(with  all  the  orders,  officers,  worship  and  service  at  this  day  in 
use  and  maintained  therein)  to  be  agreeable  thereto  and  war- 
ranted thereby,  hath  been  the  cause  of  our  separation  from  her, 
and  is  the  objection  we  have  to  make  or  the  stumbling  block 
which  lies  in  our  way  to  such  an  union  and  communion  as  you 
desire  ;  we  therefore  hope  and  expect,  according  to  your  promise, 
that  vou  will  endeavor  its  removal  bv  showing  us  from  holy  scrip- 
tures these  two  things  as  absolutely  necessary  in  order  thereunto  : 
(i  )  That  the  formation  of  your  church,  with  all  the  orders, 
officers,  rites,  and  ceremonies,  now  in  use  and  practiced  therein, 
are  of  divine  institution  ;  jiarticularly.  That  the  church  of  Christ 
under  the  New  Testament  may  consist  or  be  made  up  of  a  mixed 
multitude  and  their  feed  even  all  that  are  members  of  a  nation 
who   are  willino-  to  go  under  the  denomination   of   Christians, 


446  FIRST  BAPTIST  CHURCH. 

whether  they  are  godly  or  ungodly,  holy  or  profane  ; — that  lords, 
archbishops,  and  diocesan  lords,  bishops,  such  are  now  in  Eng- 
land, are  of  divine  institution  and  appointment  ; — that  the  gov- 
ernment of  the  church  of  Christ  under  the  gospel  is  to  be  pre- 
latical,  according  as  it  is  practiced  this  day  in  your  church  ;  and 
that  your  ecclesiastical  courts  are  of  divine  apix)intment  ; — that 
particular  churches  or  congregations  with  their  ministers  and 
elders  who  have  power  and  authority  to  receive  persons  into 
membership,  have  not  likewise  authority  (by  Math,  xviii  :  15-18; 
ist  Cor.  v)  to  execute  church  censures  and  excommunication  upon 
miscreants,  swearers,  liars,  drunkards,  adulterers,  thieves,  atheists, 
etc.;  but  that  it  is  by  divine  appointment  that  they  must  be  i)re- 
sented  to  their  ordinaries,  and  only  proceeded  against  in  your 
ecclesiastical  courts;  —  that  the  several  offices  oi  deans,  siibdeans, 
chapters,  arclideacons,  pj-el>endarics,  chancellors,  coin/nissaries, 
officials,  registers,  canons,  pettycanons,  vicars,  chorals,  appari- 
tors, organists,  Z'ergers,  singing  men  and  boys,  septins,  epistlers, 
gospellers,  and  such  like  offices  and  officers  of  your  church  and 
ecclesiastical  courts  are  of  divine  institution  or  have  any  scrip- 
ture warrant  to  justify  them  and  to  bear  them  harmless  in  the  last 
day  ; — that  unjireaching  ministers  may  celebrate  the  sacraments, 
by  scripture  warrant; — that  their  different  apparel  in  time  of 
divine  service,  such  as  hoods,  tippets,  surplices,  etc.,  are  of  divine 
institution  or  have  any  scripture  warrant  under  the  Newtestament  ; 
— that  the  manner  of  the  imblic  service  and  liturgx'  of  the  Church 
of  England  with  the  visitation  of  the  sick,  burial  of  the  dead, 
churching  of  women,  matrimony,  etc.  as  now  in  use,  are  of  divine 
appointment  ;  —  that  the  people  ought  by  the  rule  of  God's  word 
audibly  with  the  ministers  to  say  the  confession,  lords  prayer  and 
creed  ;  and  make  such  answers  to  the  public  prayers  as  are  ap- 
pointed in  the  book  of  common  prayer  ; — that  it  is  God's  holy 
will  and  i)leasure  that  saint  days  or  holy  days  should  be  kept  and 
observed  by  christians,  according  to  the  use  of  the  church  of  Eng- 
land ; — that  instruments  of  music  are  to  be  used  in  God's  worship 
under  the  Newtestament; — that  infant  baptism  is  a  duty  ; — that 
pouring  or  sprinkling  water  is  the  right  manner  of  baptising  ; — 
that  vour  manner  of  administering  the  sacraments  and  signing 


BI-CEXTENNIAL   CELEBKATION.  447 

with  the  sign  of  the  ci-oss  in  baptism  are  of  divine  appointment ; — 
that  godfathers  and  godmothers  are  of  divine  ap|)ointment  ; — 
These  are  some  of  the  things  we  desire  you  to  prove  and  make 
plain  to  us  by  the  holy  scripture.  But  if  the  case  be  such  that 
some  or  all  of  them  can  not  be  thereby  proved  ;  then  {2)  the 
second  thing  necessary  to  our  reconciliation  with  the  church  is, 
That  you  will  give  us  clear  and  infallible  proof  from  God's  holy 
word,  such  as  will  bear  us  harmless  in  the  last  day,  that  our  Lord 
Jesus  Christ  hath  given  power  and  authority  to  any  man,  men, 
convocation,  or  svnod  to  make,  constitute  or  set  up  any  other 
laws,  orders,  officers,  rites  and  ceremonies  in  his  church  besides 
those  which  he  hath  appointed  in  his  holy  word  ;  or  to  alter  or 
change  those  which  he  hath  therein  appointed  according  as  may 
from  time  to  time  to  them  seem  convenient  ;  and  that  we  are 
bound  in  conscience  towards  God  by  the  authority  of  his  word 
to  yield  obedience  thereunto  ;  or  whether  it  will  not  rather  be 
a  sore  reflection  upon  the  sufficiency  of  the  holy  scriptures,  and 
a  high  defamation  of  the  kingly  and  prophetical  offices  of  Jesus 
Christ  to  suppose  such  a  thing.  Thus  have  we  ///  hiiinilHy  and 
iviihoiit  p}-ejudice  sent  you  our  objections ;  and  if  you  can, 
according  to  your  letter,  show  them  to  be  stumbling  blocks  made 
by  our  icnlls  and  not  by  our  reason  we  shall  be  very  thankful  ;  and 
you  shall  not  find  us  obstinate  but  ready  to  accept  your  invita- 
tion. But  until  you  do  so  and  prove  the  constitution,  orders, 
officers,  rites  and  ceremonies  of  your  church  to  be  of  God,  it  is 
but  reason  that  you  should  suspend  all  charge  of  schism  against 
us,  and  desist  from  blaming  us  for  our  peaceable  separation  ; 
which  is  all  at  present  from  your  loving  friends  who  desire 
information  and  unity  among  saints  and  the  churches  peace 
that  God  in  all  things  may  be  glorified  through  our  Lord  Jesus 
Christ,  Amen.  Subscribed  by  us,  members  of  the  general  meet- 
ing in  behalf  of  the  rest,  March  11,  1699. 

"  '  John  Watts  Samuel  Jones 

"  '  Joseph  Wood  George  Eaton 

"  '  George  Eaglesfield       Thomas  Bihij  '  " 


448  FIRST  BAPTIST  CHURCH. 

•'  The  times  to  which  the  al)ove  letter  refers  were  remarkable 
for  the  s|)irit  of  proselyting,  excited  chiefly  by  means  of  the  Rev. 
(icorge  Keith,  who,  it  is  said,  was  admitted  to  orders  upon  con- 
dition that  he  would  return  to  Pennsylvania  and  endeavor  to 
bring  his  party  over  to  the  church  of  England.  He  and  his 
brethren  met  with  success  at  first ;  but  a  copy  of  the  above  letter 
being  made  jniblic,  they  were  somewhat  embarrassed  and  their 
jjrogress  retarded." 


APPENDIX   E 

(Pages  22  and  26.) 


THE   KEITHIAN    QUAKERS. 


Morgan  Edwards  ^  gives  the  following  account  of  the  Kei- 
thian  Baptists  : 

"  Soon  after  the  settlement  of  Pennsylvania  a  difference  arose 
among  the  Quakers  touching  The  sufficiency  of  what  every  ma)i 
naturally  has  within  hiuisclf  for  the  purpose  of  his  own  salvation. 
Some  denied  that  sufficiency,  and  consequently  magnified  the 
external  Word,  Christ,  etc.,  above  Barclay's  measure.  These 
were  headed  by  the  famous  George  Keith,  and  therefore  called 
Keithians.  The  difference  rose  to  a  division  in  the  year  1691 
when  separate  meetings  were  set  up  in  diverse  parts  of  the  coun- 
try, and  a  general  one  at  Burlington  in  opposition  to  that  of 
Philadelphia.  This  year  they  published  a  Confession  of  faith, 
containing  twelve  articles  much  in  Barclay's  strain  anci  signed 
by  George  Keith,  Thomas  Budd,  John  Hart,  Richard  Hilliard, 
Thomas  Hooten  and  Henry  Furnisin  the  behalf  of  the  rest.  They 
also  published  The  reasons  of  the  separation  etc.  signed  by  the 
same  persons  and  others  to  the  number  of  forty-eight.  About 
the  same  time,  and  afterward  were  published  several  other 
pieces. 

"The  design  of  those  publications  was  (i)  To  inform  the 
world  of  the  principles  of  the  separate  Quakers,  (2)  To  fix  the 
blame  of  the  separation  on  the  opposite  party,  and  (3)  To  com- 
plain of   the    unfair    treatment,    slanders,    fines,   imi)risonments 

^  "Materials,"  etc.,  p.  55. 
29  449 


450  FIRST  BAPTIST  ClICKCII. 

and  other  species  of  ijersecution  which  they  endured  from  their 
brethren. — Whether  these  complaints  be  just  or  not  is  neither 
my  business  nor  incHnation  to  determine.  If  just,  the 
Quakers  have  also  shown  '  That  every  sect  would  persecute  had 
they  but  power.'  I  know  but  one  exception  to  this  satyrical 
remark,  and  that  is  the  Baptists.  They  have  had  civil  power  in 
their  hands  in  Rhodeisland  government  for  a  136  years,  and  yet 
have  never  abused  it  in  this  manner,  their  enemies  themselves 
being  judges.  And  it  is  remarkable  that  John  Holmes,  Esq., 
(The  only  Baptist  magistrate  in  Philadelphia  at  the  time  re- 
ferred to)  refused  to  act  with  the  Quaker  magistrate  against  the 
Keithians,  alledging,  '  That  it  was  a  religious  dispute  and  there- 
fore not  fit  for  a  civil  court.'  Nay,  he  openly  blamed  the  court 
(held  at  Philadeli)hia  December  6th  to  12th,  1692)  for  refusing 
to  admit  the  exceptions  which  the  prisoners  made  to  their  jury. 
However,  the  Keithian  Quakers  soon  declined  ;  their  head  de- 
serted them  and  went  over  to  the  Episcopalians.  Some  followed 
him  thither.  Some  returned  to  the  Penn  Quakers;  and  some 
went  to  other  societies.  Nevertheless,  many  persisted  in  the 
separation,  particularly  at  Upperprovidence  ;  at  Philadelphia  ; 
at  Southampton  ;  and  at  Lowerdublin.  These  by  resigning 
themselves  to  the  guidance  of  Scripture  began  to  find  water  in 
the  commission,  bread  and  wine  in  the  command  ;  community 
of  goods,  love  feast,  kiss  of  charity,  right  hand  of  fellowship, 
anointing  the  sick  for  recovery,  and  washing  the  disciples  feet 
in  other  texts;  and  therefore  were  determined  to  practice  ac- 
cordingly. 

"The  society  of  Keithians  most  forward  in  these  matters  was 
that  kept  at  the  house  of  Thomas  Powell  in  Upperprovidence; 
which  forwardness,  it  is  said,  was  owing  to  one  Abel  Noble  who 
visited  them,  and  was  a  seventhday  baptist  minister  when  he 
arrived  in  this  country.  The  time  they  began  to  ])ut  their 
designs  in  practice  was  Jun.  28,  1697  when  the  said  Abel  Noble 
baptized  a  public  Friend  (whose  name  was  Thomas  Martin)  in 
Redley  Creek.  Afterwards  Mr.  Martin  baptized  other  Quakers 
viz: — Thomas  Powell,  Evan  Harry,  Hugh  Harry,  John  Palmer, 
Judith  Calvert,  Alee  Vestal,  Thomas  Biidd,  Richard  Dungworth, 


BI-CENTENNIAL    CELEB  RATIO. V.  451 

John  Powell,  David  Thomas,  John  Hannum,  Margery  Hannuni, 
Margery  Martin,  Mary  Palmer,  Elizabeth  Powell,  John  Becking- 
ham.  To  them  joined  one  William  Beckingham  who  broke  off 
from  the  church  of  Coh'ansey.  These  19  persons  did  October 
12,  1697,  incorporate;  and  proceeded  to  choose  a  minister  by 
lot.  Three  were  put  in  nomination,  William  Beckingham, 
Thomas  Budd,  Thomas  Martin  ;  the  lot  fell  on  the  last,  who  the 
same  day  administered  the  Lord's  sui)per  to  them  for  the  first 
time.  From  that  day  forth  other  keithian  quakers  were  bap- 
tized, Ann  Compton,  Samuel  Miles,  Hannah  Brunsdun,  William 
Thomas,  Richard  Buffington,  Elizabeth  Thomas,  Jane  Phillips, 
Edward  Lane,  Edward  Edwards,  James  Plumley,  David  Phillips, 
Elizabeth  Paviour,  Mary  Clark,  Elizabeth  Hall,  Rees  Price,  etc. 
some  of  which  lived  in  other  parts  of  the  country.  But  in  1700 
a  difference  arose  among  them  touching  the  sabbath  which  broke 
up  the  society.  Such  as  adhered  to  the  observation  of  the 
seventh  day  kept  together  at  Newtown,  where  some  of  their 
posterity  are  to  this  day.  The  rest  lay  scattered  in  the  neighbor- 
hood till  Mr.  Abel  Morgan  gathered  together  15  of  them,  and 
formed  them  into  a  society,  now  called  tlie  ChurcJi  of  Braiidi- 
wine. 

"Another  society  of  keithian  quakers  who  kept  together  was 
that  of  Philadelphia,  where  they  builded  a  meeting  house  in 
1692.  Of  these,  two  public  persons  were  baptized  in  1697  by 
Rev.  Thomas  Killingworth  of  Cohansey.  Their  names  were 
William  Davis  and  Thomas  Rutter.  The  first  joined  Pennepek  ; 
the  other  kept  preaching  in  Philadelphia  where  he  baptized  one 
Henry  Bernard  Roster,  Thomas  Peart,  and  seven  others  whose 
names  are  not  on  record.  These  nine  persons  united  in  com- 
munion June  12,  1698,  having  Thomas  Rutter  to  their  minister. 
They  increased  and  continued  together  for  nine  years.  But 
some  removing  to  the  country  and  the  unbaptized  keithians 
falling  off,  the  society  in  a  manner  broke  up  in  1707  ;  for  then 
the  few  that  remained  invited  the  regular  baptists  to  join  them, 
and  were  incorporated  with  them. 

"A  third  society  of  keithian  quakers  was  at  Southampton  in 
Bucks  County,    kept  at  the  house  of   one   John    Swift.     Their 


452  FIRST  BAPTIST  CHURCH. 

preacher  was  John  Hart.  In  1697  said  John  Hart,  John  Swift, 
Evan  Morgan  and  others  were  baptized  by  the  forementioned 
Mr.  Thomas  Rutter.  P>an  Morgan  joined  Pennepek  the  same 
year;  the  rest  kept  together  to  1702,  and  then  followed  the 
steps  of  Evan  Morgan. 

'•'The  other  society  of  keithian  quakers  was  that  in  Lower- 
dublin  township,  kept  at  the  house  of  Abraham  Pratt.  One  of 
these  John  Wells,  became  a  baptist  September  27,  1697.  The 
next  year  Mr.  William  Davis  joined  them,  being  put  out  of  the 
church  of  Pennepek  for  heresy.  In  1699  and  afterwards  others 
were  baptized,  as  David  Price  and  wife,  Abraham  Pratt  and 
wife,  Richard  Wansell,  Margaret  Davis,  Martha  Deal,  Peter 
Deal,  Richard  Wells,  Richard  Sparks,  Nicholas  Ashmead,  Alex- 
ander Babcock,  etc.  These  united  in  communion  after  the 
manner  of  their  brethren  at  Upperprovidence,  having  William 
Davis  to  their  minister.  But  they  had  not  been  long  a  society 
before  the  same  question  divided  them,  as  in  Chester  county. 
Those  who  preferred  the  seventhday  were  William  Davis,  their 
preacher  ;  the  Wells,  the  Wansels,  the  Pratts,  the  Ashmeads,  etc. 
These  met  by  themselves;  and  in  1702  built  a  place  of  worship 
in  Oxford  township.  But  their  preacher,  William  Davis,  leaving 
them  in  1711,  they  became  as  sheep  without  a  shepherd.  Those 
who  adhered  to  the  observance  of  the  first  day  sabbath  joined 
Pennepek. 

"Thus  have  we  seen  that  the  keithian  quakers  ended  in  a 
kind  of  transformation  into  keithian  baptists ;  they  were  also 
called  quaker  baptists,  because  they  still  retained  the  language, 
dress  and  manners  of  the  quakers.  We  have  also  seen  that  the 
keithian  or  quaker  baptists  ended  in  another  kind  of  transfor- 
mation into  sevetithday  baptists ;  though,  some  went  among  the 
firstday  baptists  and  other  societies.  However,  these  were  the 
beginning  of  the  Sabbatarians  in  this  province.  A  confession 
of  faith  was  published  by  the  keithian  baptists  in  1697  ;  it  con- 
sists chiefly  of  the  articles  in  the  Apostles  creed.  The  additions 
are  articles  which  relate  to  baptism  by  immersion  ;  the  Lord's 
supper;  distinguishing  days  and  months  by  numerical  names; 
plainness  of  language  and  dress;  not  swearing:  not  fighting 
etc." 


APPENDIX  F. 

(Page  25.) 

DEED 

DATED  JANUARY  2,  1694,  FOR  PART  OF  THE  PREMISES  IN 
LAGRANGE  PLACE. 


"  This  Indenture  made  the  Second  Day  of  the  Eleventh 
month  called  January  in  the  Year  of  our  Lord  according  to 
English  ace'  one  Thousand  Six  hundred  Ninety  and  four  Be- 
tween JOHN  Moore  of  the  Township  of  Mirriam  in  the  County 
of  Chcbter  in  the  Province  of  Pensilvania  Blacksmith  of  the 
one  part  and  Nicholas  Pearce  of  the  Town  and  County  of 
Philadelphia  in  the  Province  affores"^  Searge  Weaver  of  the  other 
part.  WITNESSETH  that  for  &  in  Consideration  of  the  Sum  of 
Seven  pounds  Lawful  money  of  the  Province  affores'^  paid  unto 
the  s"*  John  Moore  (or  his  late  deceased  father)  the  Receipt 
whereof  the  s''  John  Moore  doth  hereby  acknowledge  and 
thereof  doth  Acquitt  &:  discharge  the  s"*  Nicholas  Pearce  his 
Heirs  Execu''^  &  Adm''''  and  every  of  them  forever  By  These 
Presents  He  the  s"*  John  Moore  hath  granted  bargained  and 
Sold  Allyend  Enfeoffed  &  Confirmed  and  by  these  presents  doth 
clearly  and  absolutely  grant  bargain  &  Sell  x^llyend  Enfeoffed  & 
confirm  unto  the  said  Nicholas  Pearce  his  Heirs  &:  Assignes 
forever  a  Certain  Lot  of  Land  Scituate  Lying  and  being  in  the 
s'^  Town  of  Philadelphia  containing  in  bredth  Twenty  five  foot 
&  an  half  and  in  Length  three  hundred  foot  Bounded  Eastward 
w*  the  Second  Street  Southward  w"'  a  vacant  Lott  westward  w"' 
Back  Lott  and  Northward  by  a  Lott  of  Land  Now  in  said  Town 
and  occupation  of  John  Redman  with  all  the  improvements 
Proffitt  Comodities  iS:  ai)purtenances  thereunto  belonging  or  in 

453 


454 


J-VA'SV  BAPTIST  CIJURCII. 


any  wise  appertaining  and  the  reversions  and  remains  of  the 
Same  and  of  every  part  thereof  which  s''  Lot  of  Land  was 
purchased  by  James  Moore  abovenamed  of  William  Fishkr  of 
this  Town  Blacksmith  as  appears  by  his  conveyance  thereof 
dated  the  Twelfth  day  of  the  Eighth  month  1691  and  by  the  s'' 
Fisher  purchased  of  Robert  Turner  of  this  s''  Town  Merchant 
by  Deed  of  Sale  &  conveyance  thereof  dated  the  last  day  of 
April  1690  and  by  the  s''  Robert  Turner  purchased  of  Robert 
Whitton  of  the  County  of  Philadelphia  affores''  Weaver  by 
Deed  of  Sale  &  conveyance  thereof  dated  the  Twelfth  day  of 
the  Second  month  1690  and  made  over  to  the  s''  Robert  Whit- 
ton by  pattent  of  confirmation  in  the  right  of  Robert  Lodge 
dated  the  first  day  of  April  1690  And  Now  rightfully  descended 
by  the  death  of  the  s''  James  Moore  unto  the  s''  John  Moore 
party  to  these  presents  being  his  Son  &  Heir  to  Have  and  to 
Hold  the  S"*  Lott  of  Land  &  premisses  with  the  Appurtenances 
and  every  part  thereof  unto  the  s''  Nicholas  Pearce  his  Heirs  & 
Assignes  forever  To  the  only  use  &  behoote  of  him  the  s'^' 
Nicholas  Pearce  his  Heirs  &  Assignes  forevermore  the 

yearly  rents  from  henceforth  to  become  due  to  the  chief  Lord  of 
the  Soil  of  the  s''  Lott  of  Land  &  premisses  and  the  Said  John 
Moore  for  himself  his  Heirs  Exseu'^'  &:  Admin'''  doth  covenant 
promise  and  grant  by  the  s'*  presents  to  and  with  the  said  Nich- 
olas Pearce  his  Heirs  &  Assignes  forever  That  at  the  time  of 
the  Sealing  &:  delivery  hereof  to  the  s''  John  Moore  had  s'' 
Rightful!  power  and  Lawfull  Authority  to  convey  and  confirm 
the  S''  Lot  of  Land  &  premisses  above  granted 
granted  unto  the  s''  Nicholas  Pearce  his  Heirs  &  Assignes  for- 
ever and  that  it  is  free  and  clear  of  all  other  Tytles  charges  or 
Encumbrances  Whatsoever  And  that  it  shall  and  may  be  Law- 
full  for  the  s''  Nicholas  Pearce  his  Heirs  &  Assignes  Quietly 
&  peaceably  to  have  hold  occupy  possess  &  enjoy  the  s''  Lcjtt  of 
Land  premisses  above  mentioned  from  henceforth  &  forever 
without  the  Lawfull  Lott  Trouble  or  Molestation  of  him  the  s'' 
John  Moore  or  his  Heirs  his  or  their  privitie  Consent  or  pro- 
curement and  Further  that  he  the  s''  John  Moore  &  his  Heirs 
the  s''  Lott  of  Land  and  premisses  unto  the  s''  Nicholas  Pearce 


BICENTENNIAL    CELEBRATION  455 

his  Heirs  &  Assignes  against  them  the  Said  John  jNIoore  Wil- 
liam Fisher  Robert  Turner  Robert  Whitton  &  Robert 
Lodge  &  their  respective  Heirs  as  also  against  all  others  claim- 
ing or  to  Clairae  by  from  or  under  their  or  any  of  them  or  their 
Heirs  or  bv  their  or  any  of  their  means  privity  consent  or  pro- 
curement Shall  e\:  Will  Warrant  &  Forever  Defend  by 
these  presents  In  Witness  Whereof  the  party  first  above  named 
to  this  present  Indenture  hath  Set  his  hand  and  Seal  the  day 

&  Year  first  above  written  1694. 

"John  [seal]  Moore 

"  Sealed  &  Delivered 

"  In  presence  of  "  Acknowledged  in   Open  Court 

"The  X  mark  of  held  at  Philadelphia  the  7th  day 

"  Wm.  Sneade  of  March  1694. 

"  Katharn  Morggans  "  As  witness  my  hand 

"  Cha:   Reader  "John  Claypoole,  C.  S. 

"  I  John  Moore  do  hereby  acknowledge  That  I  was  present 
with  my  within  named  father  James  Moore  when  he  received 
the  consideration  money  within  Expressed  of  the  within  named 
Nicholas  Pearce  and  I  do  hereby  declare  myself  fully  satisfied 
therewith  and  in  consideration  thereof  have  signed  the  within 
Deed  and  also  do  hereby  Constitute  and  appoint  my  friend 
William  Snead  for  me  and  in  my  name  to  acknowledge  same 
in  Court  according  as  the  Law  Directs 

"  In  Witness  Whereof  I  have  hereunto  Sett  my  hand  this 
Second  dav  of  the  Eleventh  month  Anno  Domini  1694. 

"John  Moore 
"  The  mark  of 
"  Wm.  X  Sneade 
"  Katharn  Morgcjan 
"  Cha  Reade 

"Recorded  in  the  Office  for  Recording  Deeds  &c.  for  the  City 
and  County  of  Philad'  in    Deed  Book  T.   H.   No.  24  page  259 

&c. 

"  Witness  my  hand  and  seal  of  office 

"  this  15th  day  of  July  A.  D.  1852 
"Thos.  Holme 
"  Recorder'' 


APPENDIX  G, 

(Page  30.) 


DECLARATION  OF  TRUST  BY  THE  CHURCH 
WARDENS  OF  CHRIST  CHURCH. 

December  21,  1723. 


"  To  ALL  TO  WHOM  thesc  presents  Shall  come  Thomas  Tresse 
of  Philad^  Merch'  and  William  Fraser  of  the  same  place  Merch' 
Church  wardens  of  Christ  Church  in  Philad'''  send  Greeting 
Whereas  in  and  by  Several  Indentures  of  Lease  and  Release 
That  of  Lease  bearing  date  the  day  next  before  y*^  date  hereof 
cV'  that  of  Release  bearing  even  date  herew^''  made  Between 
Thomas  Peart  of  Philad'''  in  the  province  of  Pensilvania  Black- 
smith of  the  one  part  and  the  s''  Tliomas  Tresse  and  William 
Fraser  of  the  other  part  He  the  s''  Thomas  Peart  for  the  Con- 
sideracon  therein  mencond  Did  Convey  and  assure  to  the  s'' 
Thomas  Tresse  and  William  Fraser  a  Certain  part  of  a  Lott  of 
Land  scituate  in  Philad^  Containing  in  breadth  twenty  five  foot 
and  a  half  &  in  Length  three  hundred  foot  bounded  Eastward 
w"'  the  Second  Street  Southward  w"'  a  vacant  Lott  westward  w"' 
back  Lott  and  Northward  by  the  remaining  i^art  of  the  s''  I>ott 
formerly  in  the  Lease  or  occupacon  of  John  Redman  dec''  now 
in  the  possession  of  Matthew  Burchfield,  Together  w"'  the 
House  or  building  thereon  Erected  and  Standing  wi"'  the 
appurtences  To  hold  the  said  Lott  or  part  of  Lott  of  Land 
building  and  all  &  singular  other  the  '^''misses  w'''  the  appur- 
tences unto  the  s''  Thomas  Tresse  and  William  Fraser  their  heirs 
and  assigns  upon  such  Trust  and  Confidence   &  to  the  uses  in- 

456 


BI-CENTENNIAL    CELEBRATION.  457 

tents  and  inirposes  to  be  hereby  menconed  Expressed  &  De- 
clared, as  bv  ye  s''  Indenture  of  release  may  appear  now  know 
YE  that  we  the  s''  Thomas  Tresse  and  William  Fraser  minding 
the  Discharge  of  the  I'rust  in  us  reposed  and  being  willing  to 
Execute  the  same  accordingly  And  to  prevent  all  Questions  & 
differences  That  might  any  wise  happen  in  Case  of  our  Mortality 
Do  hereby  Declare  and  make  known  That  the  s''  Lott  or  part  of 
Lott  of  Land  buildings  &  other  the  p'misses  so  Conveyed  to  us 
and  our  heirs  as  af  were  so  Conveyed  to  us  upon  Special  Trust 
and  Confidence  That  we  and  our  heirs,  Should  upon  request, 
Convey  and  assure  the  same  to  such  ^son  and  persons  and  for 
such  Estate  &:  Estates  as  the  persons  nominated  for  Church 
Wardens  &  Vestrymen  of  Chri'.t  Church  in  Philad''  for  the  time 
being  Shall  by  Deed  in  writeing  under  their  hands  &  Seals  or 
under  the  hand  tv:  Seals  of  the  Major  part  of  them.  Direct 
Limit  and  appoint  And  that  we  should  not  w"'out  such  direction 
and  appointm'  Lett  Set  or  Convey  the  premisses  or  any  part 
thereof  It  being  the  true  intent  and  meaning  of  the  s''  Thomas 
Peart  and  of  the  s''  Indentures  and  parties  thereunto  That  the 
s''  Lott  or  part  of  Lott  building  &  other  ye  p'misses  &:  every 
part  thereof  &  y"  yearly  &  all  other  rents  issues  Interest  &: 
])rofits  that  shall  arise,  or  be  made  out  of  or  from  the  same 
premisses  or  any  part  thereof  Shall  be  applyd  to  Such  use  as 
the  s''  persons  nominated  for  Church  wardens  tS:  Vestrymen  of 
the  Church  afores''  or  the  Major  part  of  them  Shall  from  time 
to  time,  in  manner  afores''  think  fit  to  direct  Limit  and  appoint 
And  the  s''  Thomas  Tresse  and  William  Fraser  in  Consideracon 
of  the  p'misses  &  of  the  sum  of  five  Shillings  Lawful  money  of 
Pensilvania  to  them  in  hand  paid  by  Robert  Assheton  Charles 
Read  fames  Tuthill,  Anthony  Palmer  Thomas  Chase  Samuel 
Hasel  Peter  Evans  Meyrick  Davis  George  Plumley  V>Q\\f  Mor- 
gan Thos.  Lawrence  John  Kearsley  Rob'  Ellis  John  Read 
Thomas  Polgreen  John  Harrison  Vestrymen  of  the  Church  af 
at  and  before  the  Sealing  and  Delivery  of  these  presents  the 
receipt  whereof  is  hereby  acknowledged  Do  for  themselves  their 
heirs  Ex*"  iv:  Adm''  Covenant  promise  and  (rrant  to  and  w"'  the 
s''     Robert    Assheton    Charles    Read     James    Tuthill     Anthony 


458  FIRST  BAPTIST  CIIUKCJJ. 

Palmer  Thos.  Chase  Samuel  Hasell  Peter  lOvans  ]\Ie\rirk 
Davis  George  Plumley  Wtw'f  Morgan  Thos.  Lawrence  John 
Kearsley  Rob*  Ellis  John  Read  Tiiomas  Polgreen  John  Har- 
rison and  the  Survivors  &  Survivor  of  them  and  to  and  w"'  the 
heirs  and  assigns  of  the  Survivors  &  Survivor  of  them  by  the  s'' 
■^■■sents  in  manner  following  that  is  to  Say  That  they  the  s'' 
Thomas  Tresse  and  William  Fraser  Shall  &:  will  from  time  to 
time  ts:  at  all  times  hereafter  upon  the  reasonable  request  of  the  s'" 
Robert  Assheton  Charles  Read  James  Tuthill  Anthony  Palmer 
Thos.  Chase  Sam'  Hasell  Peter  Evans  Meyrick  Davis  George 
Plumley  l]enj'  Morgan  Thos.  Lawrence  John  Kearsley  Rol)' 
Ellis  John  Read  Thos.  Polgreen  and  John  Harrison  or  the  Sur- 
vivors or  Survivor  of  them  or  the  heirs  of  such  Survivor  Declare 
Do  make  acknowledge  and  Execute  all  (S:  Every  such  further  or 
better  Declaration  or  Declarations  of  the  Trust  af  &:  also  such 
other  Deeds  writeings  or  Instrum''^  Either  for  y*"  Letting  Setting 
or  absolute  Conveying  of  the  ^""misses  or  any  part  thereof  for 
any  Term  or  Number  of  years  or  in  fifee  &:  to  such  person  or 
])ersons  &  under  such  rents  provisoes  Condicons  reservacons  & 
Agreem*"  as  they  the  s''  Robert  Assheton  &:  others  the  Vestrymen 
above  named  or  the  Survivors  or  Survivor  of  them  or  y*"  heirs 
of  such  Survivor  or  his  or  their  Counsel  Learned  in  the  Law 
duely  authorised,  Shall  Devise  or  Advise  &  require  And  that  they 
the  s'^  Thomas  Tresse  &:  William  Eraser  or  Either  of  them  or 
the  heirs  Ex"  Adm"  or  Assigns  of  Either  of  them  Shall  not  nor 
will,  w^'out  such  direction  &  appointm'  so  as  af  had  make  do  or 
Execute  or  Cause  or  promise  to  be  made  done  or  Executed  any 
act  matter  or  thing  whatsoever  whereby  or  by  means  whereof  of 
the  ^'misses  or  any  part  thereof  Shall  or  may  be  alien''  Charged 
or  Incumbred  in  Title  or  testate  or  the  Trust  af  be  any  ways 
frustrated  defeated  or  Molested  but  that  they  the  s''  Thomas 
Tresse  and  William  Fraser  their  heirs  Ex"  c^  Assigns  Shall  & 
will  in  all  things  taithfully  discharge  perform  l\:  Execute  the 
Trust  af  according  to  the  purport  true  intent  and  meaning 
thereof  &:  the  Declaracon  hereby  made  touching  the  Same  In 
Witness  whereof  the  s''  Thomas  Tresse  &  William  Fraser  have 
hereunto  Set  their  hands   and  Seals  the  one  &  twentieth  day  of 


BI-CENTENiYIAL    CELEBRATJON.  459 

December  In  the  Year  of  our  Lord  one  thousand  Seven  hundred 
&:  twenty  three. 

"  Thomas  Tresse  [seal] 
"  Sealed  and  Delivered  1  "  William  Fraser  [seal]  " 

"  in  the  '^''sence  of        j 

"  Robert  Hurn  (?) 

"  Isa[ac]  Browne 

ENDORSEMENTS. 

''Deed  Trust 

WiM.  ffraser  &  Thos.  Tresse 

the  Baptist  Ground 

Deed  in  7>7/^/ for  The  Meeting  house  & 
Lott     formerly    Called    The    Keithean 
Meetins:  house  and  Lott." 


APPENDIX   H 

(Page  33.) 


ORIGIN    OF    THE    PHILADELPHIA    BAPTIST 
ASSOCIATION. 


Morgan  Edwards^  has  the  following  account  of  the  origin  of 
the  Philadelphia  Association  : 

"Frequent  mention  having  been  made  in  the  foregoing  sheets 
of  the  association  of  Philadelphia  it  may  not  be  improper  to  say 
something  of  the  origin, — nature, — and  usefulness  of  it.  The 
origin  of  it,  under  its  present  name  and  regulation,  is  ascer- 
tained by  the  following  paragraph  in  the  records  of  Pennepek 
p.  43 .  'Before  our  general  meeting  held  at  Phila- 
delphia in  the  7th  month,  1707,  it  was  concluded  by  the  several 
congregations  of  our  judgment  to  make  choice  of  some  particular 
brethren  such  as  they  thought  most  capable  in  every  congrega- 
tion, and  those  to  meet  at  the  yearly  meeting  to  consult  about 
such  things  as  were  wanting  in  the  church  and  set  them  in 
order ;  and  those  brethren  met  at  the  said  yearly  meeting  which 
began  the  27th  of  the  7th  month  on  the  7th  day  of  the  week, 
and  agreed  that  the  said  meeting  should  be  continued  till  the 
third  day  of  the  week  following  in  the  work,  etc'  The  chosen 
brethren  who  met  were  from  Pennepek,  Middletown,  Piscataqua, 
Cohansey,  and  Welshtract.  This  was  the  time  of  the  associa- 
tion's existence;  and  five  churches  its  constituents.  Since,  it 
has  increased  so  as  to  contain  34  churches  exclusive  of  those 
which  have  been  detached  to  form  another  association.     Before 

1  "  Materials,"  etc.,  p.  121. 
460 


BI-CENTENNIAL    CELEBRATION.  461 

that  period,  (Sept.  27,  1707)  even  from  the  first  settlement 
of  baptists  about  Delaware  they  had  set  up  a  general  meeting  for 
preaching,  administering  ordinances,  etc.  which  meeting  (as 
their  then  scattered  state  required)  was  held  in  different  places. 
The  first,  on  record,  was  at  Salem  in  the  month  of  May,  1688 
when  several  were  baptized  and  a  deacon  ordained.  Penn.  Rec. 
page  4,  5.  This  was  about  three  months  after  Pennepek  church 
was  constituted  ;  the  next  general  meeting  was  held  at  Lower- 
dublin  in  the  fall  of  the  same  year;  the  next  at  Philadelphia  in 
March  i68g  ;  the  fourth  at  Burlington  in  the  summer  following. 
Afterwards  it  shifted  to  Cohansey,  Welshtract,  Middletown,  and 
elsewhere.  The  people  who  lived  in  each  of  those  places  called 
it  d. yearly  )nec'tiiig  because  it  came  to  them  but  once  a  year  ;  but 
the  ministers  and  others  who  attended  in  every  place  speak  of  it 
2&2i  quarterly  meeting,  because  (I  suppose)  in  one  place  or  another 
it  was  held  four  times  within  the  compass  of  twelve  or  thirteen 
months.  Some  business  was  done  at  these  meetings  whereof  see 
one  example  p.  99,  but  then  it  was  done  without  the  authority 
of  a  delegation.  Thus  they  went  on  from  1688  to  1707  which 
was  a  period  of  about  19  years;  but  in  the  last  mentioned  year 
(Sep.  27)  the  general  meeting  which  had  been  held  at  Phila- 
delphia from  16S9  was  transformed  into  An  association  of 
messengers  authorized  by  their  respective  churches  to  meditate  and 
execute  designs  of  public  good ;  and  has  been  continued  in  the 
same  place  ever  since,  one  year  excepted.  The  said  general 
meeting  (held  in  three  other  jjlaces)  is  called  yearly  meeting  to 
this  day.  This  is  the  state  of  matters  now  1770.  It  was  pretty 
much  the  same  56  years  ago,  as  appears  by  a  letter  of  Rev.  Abel 
Morgan,  addressed  to  the  London  ministers  and  dated  Phila- 
delphia, Aug.  12,  1 7 14  'We  now  have  for  the  better  assisting 
one  the  other  four  general  meetings;  one  at  Welshtract  where 
all  the  Pennsylvania  churches  resort  in  May ;  the  other  at 
Cohansey  where  Philadelphia  assists;  the  third  at  Middletown 
where  Philadelphia  also  assists;  the  fourth  at  Philadelphia  in 
September  where  all  do  resort  and  where  most  of  the  public 
matters  are  settled  by  messengers  from  every  particular  church.' 
The  general   meeting   of  Middletown   is  moveable.      No  public 


462  FIRST  BAPTIST  CHURCH. 

business  is  done  at  these  three  yearly  meetings  which  makes 
some  neglect  them  as  unmeaning  assemblies.  The  fourth,  or 
association,  is  a  meeting  of  business. 

"  From  the  origin  of  the  association  we  proceed  to  the  nature 
thereof.  It  has  been  before  styled  a  confederate  body  of  delegates 
from  the  churches ;  but  it  is  to  be  observed  that  their  delegation 
raises  them  no  higher  than  an  advisory  council ;  it  gives  them  no 
ecclesiastical  legislature,  nor  jurisdiction,  nor  coercive  power, 
nor  anything  else  which  may  interfere  with  the  rights  of  par- 
ticular churches,  or  those  of  private  judgment.  Some  motions 
were  made  in  1766  and  afterwards  which  (if  admitted  one  way) 
would  have  brought  in  by  way  of  appeal  matters  that  had  been 
determined  in  particular  churches;  but  an  effectual  opposition 
was  made  to  the  motions  from  an  ai)prehension  that  as  soon  as 
the  association  starts  from  its  present  firm  basis  of  an  advisory 
COUNCIL  so  soon  will  it  become  contemptible  for  want  of  power  ; 
or,  having  power,  become  tyrannical,  as  all  assemblies  of  the 
kind  have  proved.  Nay,  the  very  word  appeal  has  a  caveat  upon 
it  in  the  records,  lest  ih^  Judgment  or  advice  which  the  associa- 
tion give  upon  matters  brought  before  them,  by  the  mutual  con- 
sent of  churches  or  parties  concerned,  should  be  considered  as 
decisive,  or  the  acts  of  a  superior  judicature •.  The  per- 
sons who  form  this  association  (as  hinted  before)  are  delegates  or 
messengers  from  the  churches.  The  choice  falls  generally  on  the 
ministers  and  elders  or  deacons.  With  them  each  church  sends  a 
letter  addressed  to  the  association  containing  the  names  of  their 
messengers  and  an   exact  account  of  their  church  state,  with  a 

specification  of  what  advice  or  help  they  want .      The 

time  when  the  association  meet,  is  the  Tuesday  after  the  second 
Sunday  in  October.  It  continues  commonly  to  the  Thursday  or 
Friday  following.  Then  the  messengers  return  with  letters  to  their 
respective  churches.  These  letters  contain  an  exact  account  of 
the  number  of  communicants  in  each  church  ;  the  number  bap- 
tized, restored  by  repentance,  or  otherwise  added  in  the  year  ; 
the  number  dead,  excommunicated  or  otherwise  lost ;  the  opinion 
of  the  association  upon  queries  brought  into  it  ;  their  advice 
relative  to  things  whereof  it  was  asked  ;    the  times  when  vacant 


Bl-CENTE.VXIAL    CELEBRATION.  463 

churches  are  to  be  supplied,  and  by  whom  ;  with  minutes  of  the 
transactions,  etc.     These  letters  have  of  late  years  been  printed 

The  manner  in  which  the   association  is   conducted 

is  as  foUoweth.  After  divine  service  (a  i)art  of  which 
is  a  discourse  on  some  article  in  the  Century  confession) 
the  moderator  for  the  preceding  year  nominates  a  successor 
and  a  secretary  ;  these  being  approved  and  seated  the  letters 
to  the  association  are  called  for  and  read,  and  the  names 
of  the  messengers  enrolled,  which  commonly  finishes  the 
business  of  the  first  day.  The  next  (and  each  succeeding) 
day  they  meet  at  appointed  hours,  and  after  calling  the  roll  over 
proceed  to  business.  All  matters  are  determined  by  majority 
of  voices,  excei)t  what  are  determined  by  scripture  ;  such  things 
are  never  put  to  the  decision  of  votes.  All  the  messengers  may 
freely  speak  to  any  matter  in  hand,  and  make  replies  and  re- 
joinders, observing  decorum  and  addressing  themselves  to  the 
moderator.  Nothing  is  put  to  vote  till  all  have  said  what  they 
chuse  to  offer.  The  business  of  the  last  sitting  is  to  frame  and 
sign  the  circular,  and  other  public  letters;  to  appoint  a  preacher 
for  next  association,  and  his  subject.  It  should  be  observed  that 
each  sitting  and  rising  is  attended  with  prayer  by  the  moderator 
.  Churches  are  received  into  this  association  by  peti- 
tions, setting  forth  their  desire  to  be  admitted;  their  taith  and 
order,  and  willingness  to  conform  to  the  rules  of  the  associated 
body.  A  petition  being  read,  and  suffrage  in  its  favor  being  ob- 
tained, the  moderator  declares  that  such  a  church  is  received  ; 
in  token  of  which  he  gives  the  messengers  the  right  hand  of  fel- 
lowship, and  bids  them  take  their  seats. 

"The  last  thing  proposed  was  to  say  something  of  the  useful- 
ness of  this  association.  And  the  experience  of  63  years 
hath  shown  it  to  be  so  considerable  as  to  recommend  such  a 
combination  of  churches,  were  there  no  divine  jirecept  or  prece- 
dent for  it.  I  will  mention  some  late  instances  (i)  It  hath 
made  the   bai)tists   a   resi)ectable   body  of  people  in   the  eye  of 

other  societies  and  of  the  civil  powers  on  this  continent . 

The  baptists  of  Montague  pleaded  a  law  of  the  province  for  their 
exemption   from   ministerial  tax  ;   but  the  court  would  not  hear 


464  FIRST  BAPTIST   CHUKCII. 

them   till    they  showed   their  connection    with  a  branch  of  the 

association  of  Philadelphia .    Their  brethren  of  Ashfield 

had  395  acres  of  land  taken  from  them  towards  building  a  presby- 
terian  meeting  house  and  paying  a  presbyterian  minister;  they 
applied  for  help  to  the  said  branch  of  the  association  who  have 
engaged  the  restoration  of  their  property  by  laying  their  case 
before  the  king,   if  they  cannot  succeed  with   the   assembly  of 

Boston .      Rev.  John  Davis  upon  settling  in  Maryland 

was  much  harrassed  till  the  association  espoused  his  cause;   then 

he  had  peace,  and  is  now  esteemed  in  the  neighborhood . 

The  rev.  David  Thomas  A.  M.  was  roughly  treated  in  Virginia 
by  both  mobs  and  magistrates;  he  applied  to  the  court  of 
Williamsburg  for  his  qualifications  in  order  to  obtain  the  pro- 
tection of  the  toleration  act.  The  court  would  not  know 
him.  He  then  applied  to  the  association  of  Philadelphia  for 
advice  ;   he  had  it,  and  returned,  and  is  now  under  the  protection 

of    the  Law .      Rev.    Noah   Hammond   of  Longisland 

was  treated  by  his  neighbors  as  if  he  were  no  minister  in  the 
sense  of  the  law  ;  and  consequently  they  noised  it  abroad  that 
the  marriages  he  performed  were  not  legal,  and  that  the  issue 
would  not  be  legitimate.  This  greatly  disquieted  him  and  the 
parties  concerned  ;  but  upon  the  reception  of  him  and  his  church 
into  the  association  the  clamor  ceased  (2)  The  said  combina- 
tion of  churches  has  in  a  good  measure  remedied  the  pernicious 
effects  of  the  pniritits prcsdicandi  \\\\\c\\  rages  so  much  in  Amer- 
ica. One  of  the  first  resolves  is,  '  That  no  man  shall  be  allowed 
to  in-each  among  the  associated  churches  except  he  produce  cre- 
dentials of  his  being  in  communion  with  his  church,  and  of  their 
having  called  and  licensed  him  to  preach.'  Before  this,  vain 
and  insufficient  men  would  set  themselves  up  to  be  preachers,  and 
stroll  about  the  country  tmder  the  name  of  baptist  ministers; 
also  ministers  degraded  and  excommunicated,  who  with  their 
insufficiency  and  immorality  brought  disgrace  on  the  very  name 
of  baptists  (3)  The  said  association  has  been  very  beneficial  to 
the  churches  concerned  in  many  other  respects.  Some  have  been 
supplied  with  money  towards  erecting  places  of  worship ;  some 
to  defend  themselves  against  oppressors,  as  is  now  the  case  with 


BICENTENNIAL    CELEBRATION.  465 

respect  to  the  churches  of  Newengland,  for  whom  a  considerable 
sum  is  raised  ;  some  to  relieve  their  necessities,  as  in  the  case  of 
the  brethren  of  Konolowa  who  were  driv'en  from  their  habita- 
tions by  the  Indians;  Some  are  assisted  with  counsel  and  advice 
when  in  difficulties  among  themselves,  as  appears  l)y  the  records 
of  the  association  ;  some  with  ministerial  helps,  whereof  many 
instances  appear  in  the  yearly  letters  to  the  churches.  Many 
other  evidences  of  its  utility  might  be  produced.  Of  any  ill 
effect  attending  it  I  have  not  known  one  instance  ;  neither  have  I 
heard  any  clamor  against  it  except  from  the  self-made  preachers 
and  degraded  culprits  before  mentioned  whose  trade  is  almost 
ruined  hereby,  and  who  (like  quack-doctors  and  pettyfogging 
lawyers)  do  more  harm  than  good  (4)  But  what  I  deem  the 
chief  advantage  of  this  association  (and  indeed  the  spring  of  all 
the  benefits  before  mentioned)  is,  that  it  introduces  into  the 
visible  church  what  are  called 7'<?////j-  and  hands  whereby  the  whole 
body  is  knit  together  and  compacted  for  increase  by  that  which 
every  part  supplieth.  And  therefore  it  is  (as  hinted  in  the 
preface)  that  I  am  so  anxious  to  render  the  said  combination  of 
baptist  churches  universal  upon  this  continent.  And  should  God 
give  me  success  herein,  as  in  the  affair  of  the  baptist  college,  I 
shall  deem  myself  the  happiest  man  on  earth." 


30 


APPENDIX  J 

(Page  39.) 


HISTORY    OF  THE   ORIGIN    OF   THE    FIRST 
BAPTIST  CHURCH. 


Morgan  Edwards  i  gives  the  following  history  of  the  First  Bap- 
tist Church  of  Philadelphia  : 

"  This  is  the  eighth  church  in  order  of  constitution  ;  but  in 
reality  is  within  ten  years  as  old  as  Pennepek.  It  is  distinguished 
by  the  above  name  of  the  city  where  it  exists;  and  is  considered 
as  a  center  to  all  the  associating  churches.  The  place  of  wor- 
ship is  a  neat  brick  building,  6i  feet  by  42,  with  pews  and  gal- 
leries, erected  in  1762  at  the  charge  of  ^2200.  It  stands  near 
the  center  of  the  city  on  a  lot  of  303  feet  by  44,  having  the 
burying-ground  to  the  back,  and  a  court  to  the  front  opening 
to  Second  street ;  in  one  corner  of  which  is  the  parsonage  house. 
A  part  of  said  lot  did  belong  to  the  Keithians  ;  the  other  part  was 
given  by  John  Holmes,  subject  to  a  debt  of  ^100.  The  endow- 
ments of  this  church  are  considerable  (1)  a  parsonage  house, 
erected  by  Rev.  Jenkin  Jones  at  his  own  expence  in  part,  and  in 
part  at  the  expence  of  John  Swift  who  bequeathed  £,  50  for  that 
purpose  (2)  Three  houses,  the  gift  of  William  and  Sarah 
Branson,  now  let  for  ^90  a  year  (3)  Three  hundred  pounds  the 
gift  of  Sarah  Smith  (4)  One  hundred  pounds  the  gift  of  Septimus 
Robison  and  his  son  (5)  Two  pounds  ten  shillings  a  year  the 
gift  of  John  Morgan  (6)  Seventy-eight  pounds  fifteen  shillings 
the  gift  of  Francis  and  Amy  Pullin  towards  discharging  the  debt 

1  "  Materials,"  etc.,  pp.  41-46. 
466 


BI-CENTENNIAL    CELEBRATION.  467 

of  half  the  lot  on  which  the  meeting  house  stands  (7)  Thirty 
pounds  the  gift  of  Stephen  Anthony  towards  discharging  the 
debt  contracted  in  building  the  meeting  house.  The  minister 
has  a  right  to  ^10  out  of  said  houses;  to  the  interest  of  one  of 
the  said  three  hundred  ;  and  to  the  parsonage  house ;  the  rest  are 
either  appropriated  to  the  poor,  or  left  to  the  disposal  of  the 
church.  With  the  above  helps  the  living  is  reputed  worth  ;^2oo 
a  year  to  the  present  minister,  Rev.  Morgan  Edwards.  The  fam- 
ilies belonging  to  the  place  are  about  120,  whereof  140'  persons 
are  baptized  and  in  the  communion  of  the  clnirch. 

"  1  Morgan  Edwards,  min.,  Isaac  Jones,  Esq.,  George  Wescott  and  .Samuel 
Davis,  eld.  Joshuah  Moore,  Samuel  Miles,  Joseph  Moulder,  deac.  ; 
Samuel  Ashmead,  Esq.,  Rev.  Ebenezer  Kinnersley,  John  Perkins,  John 
Standeland,  Joseph  Ingles,  Samuel  Burkilo,  Thomas  Byles,  John  Bazeley, 
Catherine  Standeland,  Mary  Burkilo,  Edith  Priestley,  Esther  Ashmead,  Eliza- 
beth Byles,  Sarah  Bazeley,  Elizabeth  Shewell,  Mary  Morgan,  Isaac  Bellen- 
gee,  Rebecka  Williams,  Mary  Morris,  Jennet  Church,  Esther  Tommins,  John 
Linnington,  Sarah  North,  Mary  Harris,  William  Powell,  Mary  Rush,  Su- 
sanna Woodrow,  Elenor  Kester,  Abraham  Levering,  Ann  Levering,  Catherine 
Morgan,  Edward  Middleton,  Martha  Coffin,  Mary  Thomas,  Rachel  Davis, 
Septimus  Levering,  Mary  Levering,  Elizabeth  Church,  Catherine  Coughlin, 
Ann  Barns,  Joseph  Watkins,  Joanna  Anthony,  Frances  Jones,  Elizabeth 
Byles,  Mary  Bartholomew,  Catherine  Bartholomew,  Benjamin  Davis,  Barnaby 
Barns,  jemima  Timmerman,  Susanna  Morris,  John  Dickson,  Samuel  Jones, 
Mary  Powell,  Sarah  Hellings,  William  Perkins,  Esther  Davis,  Hannah 
Stakes,  Andrew  Edge,  Joseph  Williams,  Mary  Iden,  Sarah  Shewell,  Sarah 
Gardner,  Mary  Wood,  Sarah  Edge,  Frances  Maglone,  Susanna  M'Laneghan, 
Hannah  Swanson,  Samuel  Miles,  John  Mason,  Nehemiah  Davis,  John  Mor- 
gan, Grace  Loyd,  William  Jenkins,  Joseph  Moulder,  Sarah  Moulder,  Sarah 
Neaves,  Elizabeth  Holton,  Thomas  Shields,  Ann  Ruxby,  Margaret  Emmet, 
Rebecka  Wilson,  Charles  Wilson,  Abel  Gibbon,  Sarah  Thomas,  Martha  Ma- 
'son,  James  Hunter,  Sarah  Harper,  Lydia  Shields,  Jonah  Thomas,  Mary  Robi- 
son,  Mary  Jones,  Joan  Thomas,  Susanna  Rose,  John  Rose,  Hannah  Drinker, 
Polydore  and  Nelly,  Jacob  Levering,  William  Harper,  Sarah  Powell,  Eliza- 
beth Shewell,  Ann  Bray,  Thomas  Fleeson,  Samuel  Olden,  Elizabeth  Morgan, 
Sarah  Briding,  George  Ingles,  Joseph  Gilbert,  John  Stow,  Rebecka  Barger, 
Mary  Richey,  Judith  Fulton,  Evan  Jenkins,  Thomas  Dungan,  John  Flintham, 
Samuel  W^oodbridge,  Isaac  Powell,  Elizabeth  Morris,  Sarah  Megetegen, 
Mathias  Mairis,  Margaret  Levering,  Susanna  DeNyce,  John  Drinker,  Enoch 
Morgan,  Erasmus  Kelly,  Sarah  Marsh,  Mary  Fox,  Mary  Rush,  Mary  Evans, 
Mary  Powell,  and  Charles  M' Donald. 


46S  FIRST  BAPTIST  CHURCH. 

"This  was  the  state  of  Philadelphia  in  the  year  1770.  Their 
state  in  retrospect  will  lead  us  almost  to  the  founding  of  the 
city.  In  the  year  1686  one  John  Holms  arrived  and  settled  in 
the  neighborhood  :  he  was  a  man  of  property  and  learning  ;  and 
therefore  we  find  him  in  the  magistracy  of  the  place  in  1691. 
He  died  judge  of  Salem  court.  In  1696  John  Farmer  and  his 
wife  arrived ;  they  belonged  to  the  church  of  Rev.  Ansard 
Knollis,  in  London.  In  1697  one  Joseph  Todd  and  Rebecka 
Woosencroft  came  to  the  same  neighborhood,  who  belonged 
to  a  baptist  church  at  Limmington  in  Hampshire  whereof  Rev- 
erend John  Rumsey  was  pastor.  The  following  year  one  Wil- 
liam Silverstone,  William  Elton  and  wife,  and  Mary  Shepherd 
were  baptized  by  Rev.  John  Watts.  These  nine  persons  did,  on 
the  second  Sunday  in  Dec,  1698,  assemble  at  a  house  in 
Barbadoes  lot,  and  did  coalesce  into  a  church  for  the  com- 
munion of  saints,  having  Rev.  John  Watts  to  their  assistance. 
From  that  time  to  the  year  1746  they  increased,  partly  by  emi- 
grations from  the  old  country,  and  partly  by  the  occasional 
labors  of  rev.  messieurs  Elias  Reach,  Thomas  Killingworth, 
John  Watts,  Samuel  Jones,  Evan  Morgan,  John  Hart,  Joseph 
Wood,  Nathaniel  Jenkins,  Thomas  Griffiths,  Elisha  Thomas, 
Enoch  Morgan,  John  Burrows,  Thomas  Selby,  Abel  Morgan, 
George  Eaglesfield,  William  Kinnersley,  and  others.  From  the 
beginning  to  the  last  mentioned  time  (1746)  they  had  no  set- 
tled minister  among  them  though  it  was  a  period  of  48  years. 
The  first  that  might  properly  be  called  their  own  was  Rev. 
Jenkin  Jones  ;  the  rest  belonging  to  other  churches.  They  did 
indeed  in  1723  choose  George  Eaglesfield  to  preach  to  them, 
contrary  to  the  sense  of  the  church  of  Pennepek ;  but  in  1725 
he  left  them  and  went  to  Middleton.  About  the  year  1746  a 
question  arose,  whether  Philadelphia  was  not  a  branch  of  Penne- 
pek ?  and  consequently,  whether  the  latter  had  not  a  right  to 
part  of  the  legacies  bestowed  on  the  former?  This  indeed  was 
a  groundless  question.  But  for  fear  the  design  of  their  benefac- 
tors should  be  perverted  the  church  of  Philadelphia  did,  May  15, 
1746,  formally  incorporate,  which  had  only  been  done  implicitly 


BICENTENNIAL    CELEBRATION.  469 

in  December  16,  1698.     The  number  of  persons  that  did  incor- 
porate was  56.      [Their  names  are  given  on  p.  38.] 

"The  place  where  the  church  met  at  first  was  the  corner  of 
Secondstreet  and  Chesnutstreet  known  by  the  name  of  Bar- 
badoes  lot.  The  building  was  a  store  house;  but  when  the  Bar- 
badoes  company  left  the  i)lace  the  Baptists  held  their  meetings 
there.  So  also  did  the  Presbyterians,  when  either  a  baptist  or  a 
presbyterian  minister  happened  to  be  in  town  ;  for  as  yet  neither 
had  any  settled  among  them.  But  when  Jedidiah  Andrews  came 
to  the  latter  they  in  a  manner  drave  the  baptists  away.  Several 
letters  passed  between  the  two  societies  on  the  occasion,  which 
are  yet  extant.  There  was  also  a  deputation  of  three  baptists 
appointed  to  remonstrate  with  the  presbyterians  for  so  unkind 
and  rightless  a  conduct ;  but  to  no  purpose.  From  that  time 
forth  the  baptists  held  their  worship  at  a  place  near  the  draw- 
bridge known  by  the  name  of  Anthony  Morris's  brewhouse  : 
Here  they  continued  to  meet  to  March  15,  1707  when,  by  invi- 
tation of  the  Keithians,  they  removed  their  worship  to  Second- 
street  where  they  hold  it  to  this  day.  The  keithian  meeting 
house  was  a  small  wooden  building  erected  in  1692.  This  the 
baptists  took  down  in  1731,  and  raised  on  the  same  spot  a  neat 
brick  building,  42  feet  by  30.  This  also  was  taken  down  in 
1762  to  make  way  for  the  present  which  hath  been  already 
described.  But  an  accident  in  1734  had  like  to  have  deprived 
the  baptists  of  their  valuable  lot  and  house.  Then  one  Thomas 
Peart  died  after  having  made  a  conveyance  of  the  premises  to 
the  church  of  England.  The  vestry  demanded  possession.  The 
baptists  refused.  A  law  suit  commenced,  which  brought  the 
matter  to  a  hearing  before  the  assembly.  The  episcopalians 
being  discouraged  offered  to  give  up  their  claim  for  j[^%o.  The 
offer  was  accepted  ;  and  contention  ceased.  No  other  very 
remarkable  event  hath  happened  in  this  church  except  a  division 
which  took  place  in  1711  occasioned  by  the  turbulent  spirit  of 
an  Irish  preacher  that  was  among  them,  along  with  Mr.  Burrows. 
His  name  was  Thomas  Selby.  When  he  had  formed  a  party  he 
shut  Mr.  Burrows  and  his  friends  out,  who  thenceforth  met  at 
Mr.  Burrow's  house  in  Chesnutstreet.     This  was  the  situation 


470  FIRST  BAPTIST  CHURCH. 

of  affairs  when  Mr.  Abel  Morgan  arrived  in  171 1.  But  his 
presence  soon  healed  the  breach,  and  obliged  Selby  to  quit  the 
town,  which  he  did  in  1713  and  went  to  Carolina;  and  there 
died  the  same  year,  but  not  before  he  had  occasioned  much 
disturbance — .  The  ministers  which  this  church  has  had  from 
the  beginning  to  the  }ear  1746  are  mentioned  above,  and  some 
of  them  have  been  already  characterized.  The  rest  will  be 
mentioned  in  proper  places." 


APPENDIX  K, 

(Page  46.) 


A  NARRATIVE  OF  THE  ORDINATION  OF  THE 
REV.  SAMUEL  JONES,  A.B. 

JANUARY  2,  1763. 
Published  at  the  request  of  them  2vho  tvere  present . 


The  solemnity  began  7vith  prayer.  Then  7vas  sung  the  777 
hymn,  2d  book,  of  Di-.  Watts.  After  that,  the  foregoing  sermon 
was  preached.  When  sermon  7uas  over,  one  of  the  three  ministers, 
present,  stood  up  and  spoke  to  this  effect  : 

When  the  Church  of  Jerusalem,  "  the  mother  of  us  all,"  has 
chosen  men  to  office,  it  is  recorded,  "  That  they  set  them  before 
the  apostles"  to  be  ordained,  by  laying  on  of  hands  and 
"prayers."  We  desire,  therefore,  that  this  church  will  set 
before  us  the  man  whom  they  have  chosen  to  the  ministry. 

The  regard  which  we  pay  to  that  sacred  charge  ('•  Lay  hands 
suddenly  on  no  man.")  obliges  us  to  use  caution.  Sir,  we  would 
be  certified  of  your  call  to  preach. 

The  catididate  presented  a  copy  of  his  call,  which  7vas  audibly 
read. 

We  would,  also,  see  your  license  ;  which  may  be  to  us  a  testi- 
mony of  your  good  morals  ;  and  of  the  approbation  which  your 
ministerial  abilities  have  obtained. 

1  Unfortunately,  the  lower  edges  of  some  leaves  have  been  slightly  burned, 
destroying  the  last  line  on  each  of  these  pages.  This  accounts  for  the  recur- 
ring stars.  I  owe  the  loan  of  this  pamphlet  to  the  courtesy  of  Mr.  George 
Brooks,  of  Roxborough,  Philadelphia,  through  Rev.  T.  1'.  Ilolloway,  Pastor 
of  the  Lower  Dublin  (Pennepek)  Baptist  Church. 

471 


472  FIRST  BAPTIST  CHURCH. 

The  license  was  presented,  which  was  also  read. 

We  would,  likewise,  be  certified  of  your  election  to  the  min- 
istry ;  and  recommendation  to  us  for  ordination. 

The  representative  of  the  church,  ivlw  stood  by  the  candidate, 
de/ivered  credentials  of  the  said  election,  and  recommendation,  and 
retired.      Those  were  read.     And  the  said  minister  proceeded : 

Hitherto  your  advances  towards  the  ministry  appear  to  have 
been  regular  and  fair.  But  we  are  obliged  *  *  *  *  p^j.. 
mit  me  therefore  to  ask.  Do  you.  Sir,  "willingly,  and  not  by 
constraint ;  out  of  "a  ready  mind  and  not  for  filthy  lucre,"  de- 
vote yourself  to  the  sacred  office? 

The  candidate  signified,  that  the  ministry  was,  to  him,  a  jnatter 
of  free  choice  ;  and  that  his  inew  zvas  fiot  lucrative. 

Do  you  believe  that  you  are  moved  hereto  by  the  Spirit  of 
God,  so,  that  a  "  necessity  is,  thereby,  laid  on  you  to  preach  the 
Gospel,  and  that  a  wo  will  be  to  you  if  you  i)reach  it  not  ;  for 
no  man  taketh  this  honour  unto  himself,  but  he  that  is  called  of 
God,  as  was  Aaron  ?  " 

Which  question,  the  candidate  anstvered  in  the  affirmative. 

Do  you  take  the  Bible  to  be  the  word  of  God  in  such  a  sense 
as  to  hold  yourself  bound  to  belive  all  it  declares;  to  do  all  it 
requires  of  you,  as  a  Christian  ;  and  to  abstain  from  all  it  forbids? 
Do  you  consider  that  book  as  the  only  rule  of  faitli  and  and  prac- 
tice in  matters  of  religion  ;  and  as  a  sufficient  rule  ;  so  that  there 
is  no  occasion  *  *  *  *  of  councils  of  any  denominations, 
to  supply  its  supposed  defects  ;  or  to  be  tests  of  right  and  wrong 
either  in  the  credenda  or  agenda  of  the  religion  of  Jesus?  Do 
you  hold  that  book  as  your  creed  or  confession  of  faith.  And 
will  you  make  it  your  directory,  whether  in  preaching,  adminis- 
tering ordinances,  exercising  government  and  discipline,  propa- 
gating or  defending  the  faith  once  delivered  to  the  saints,  or  in 
performing  any  other  branch  of  your  function? 

The  candidate  intimated,  that  he  owned  the  divine  origin,  the 
indispensilde  authoritv,  and  sufficiencv  of  the  Word  of  God;  and 
that  it  was  his  resolution  to  be  directed  by  it,  as  a  Christian,  and 
as  a  fninister. 

Are  you  determined  to  make  success  in  the  ministry  the  object 


BI-CENTENNIAL    CELEBRATJOX.  473 

of  your  constant  and  greatest  sollicitude?  And  in  order  to  be- 
come successful,  Will  you  use  fervent  prayer,  and  sollicit  your 
friends  to  pray  for  you,  that  a  divine  blessing  may  attend  your 
labours;  without  which  even  a  Paul,  or  an  Apollos,  or  a  Cephas, 
would  be  "nothing"?  Will  you  "give  yourself  wholly  "  to  the 
ministry;  and  avoid  entangling  yourself  with  the  affairs  *  *  * 
a  livelihood  is  all  you  have  a  right  to  expect  "  by  the  gospel  "  ? 
Will  you  apply  yourself  sedulously  to  •'  reading,  studying,  medi- 
tating," and  other  means  of  making  your  "  improvement  mani- 
fest to  all,  and  of  stirring  up  the  gift  that  is  in  you?  "  Will  you 
be  "  apt  or  forward  to  teach,  or  be  instant  in  season  and  out  of 
season  "  in  preaching  the  word  ?  Will  you  take  care  to  be  an 
example  of  piety  and  virtue  to  the  people,  and  to  practice  what 
you  shall  preach?  Will  you  "endure  hardness  "  when  your  duty 
require  it ;  and  iise  meekness,  and  passiveness  in  cases  of  provoca- 
tions and  ingratitude,  rather  than  forbear  your  endeavors  to  save 
the  abusive,  and  them  that  are  out  of  the  way?  Will  you  keep 
"under. the  body,  and  bring  it  to  subjection,"  lest  you  dishonor 
the  ministry  by  "  spotting  it  with  the  flesh  ";  and  destroy  your 
usefullnessin  the  sacred  office?  Will  you  strive  to  be  zealous  in  the 
office  ?  Will  you,  as  far  as  honesty  and  consistency  allow,  make 
yourself  "all  things  to  all  men  ;  please  all  men  in  all  things  ; 
and  become  the  servant  of  all  "  that  you  may  save  the  more  ? 
And,  will  you  endeavor  to  maintain  the  proper  character  of  a 
minister,  which  is,     *     *     * 

The  candidate  s  austucr  amounted  to  an  assurance,  that  ait  these 
things  should  be  to  him  ?natters  of  sollicitude  and  endeavours. 

There  is  a  confession  of  faith  (adopted  by  the  twenty-nine 
Baptist  churches  which  annually  associate  at  Philadelphia) 
wherewith  you  and  we  are  well  acquainted.  We  would  know 
whether  you  receive  that  as  a  confession  of  your  faith? 

The  candidate  signified,  that  his  sense  of  dix'ine  things  7i>as 
expressed  therein;  and  that  he  received  it  as  the  only  human 
system  he  approved. 

We  do  not  mean  by  our  question,  that  you  should  be  bound 
to  that  system  ;  or  any  way  abridged  of  the  rights  of  private 
judgment;    and   liberty  of  speech;   for   that  is  an   iinhai)piness 


474  FIRST  BAPTIST  CHURCH. 

attending  human  establishments,  in  the  kingdom  of  Christ; 
which  establishments  have  ])ut  a  stop  to  the  reformation  before 
it  was  perfected  :  and  have  made  genius,  learning,  and  industry 
the  tools  of  parties,  and  dupes  to  men  of  like  passions  with 
ourselves;  rather  than  means  of  discovering  errors,  and  restoring 
l)rimitive  Christianity.  Upon  the  whole,  I  see  no  reason  why 
you  should  **>!<*  are  well  known  to  us,  who  were 
present  at  your  examination  in  this  College.  What  say  you,  my 
Reverend  brethren  ? 

They  replied,  That  they  were  satisfied.  Thefi  the  candidate 
7C>as  desired  to  kneel ;  and  the  three  ministers  laid  their  hands  on 
him,  and  spoke  to  this  effect. 

In  the  name  of  the  Lord  Jesus.  And,  according  to  the 
practice  of  his  apostles,  and  their  contempories,  We  lay  hands 
on  you  our  brother ;  whereby  you  are  ordained  or  constituted  a 
PRESBYTER  or  MINISTER  in  the  Church  of  Christ;  and 
impowered  to  exercise  every  branch  of  the  gosi)el  ministry, 
whether  'ordaining,'  'overseeing,'  'ruling,'  '  i)reaching,'  '  feed- 
ing the  flock  of  Christ,'  'evangelizing,'  'baptising,'  'breaking 
bread,'  or  whatever  else  belongs  to  the  character  .  .  .  And,  O 
thou  Head  of  the  church  !  .  .  .  Vouchsafe,  that  what  we  now 
do  on  earth,  may  be  approved  and  confirmed  in  heaven  ! 
.  .  .  Look  down  favourably  on  this  thy  servant,  who  on  his 
bended  knees  dedicates  himself  to  thee,  and  the  service  of  thy 
sanctuary  !  .  .  .  Accept  of  his  devoted  self,  and  services  I  .  .  . 
Let  this  the  laying  on  of  our  hands,  which  *  *  *  *  Be 
attended  with  a  grant  of  all  that  he  wants  !  .  .  .  That  we  with 
him  .  .  .  And  that  thou  hast  promised  to  give  towards  fulfilling 
the  ministry  with  honour  and  success  !  Even  so,  Lord  Jesus. 
Amen. 

Then  the  Rev.  Isaac  Eaton  prayed  to  this  effect. 

O  thou  who  art  the  "  door  of  the  church  1  who  openeth  and 
no  man  shutteth"!  Open  to  this  thy  servant,  who  seeketh, 
with  all  good  shepherds,  to  enter  by  thee  into  the  sheepfold  ; 
and  not  to  climb  thereinto  any  other  way  !  Thou  that  "clothest 
thy  priests  with  salvation,"  endow  him  with  that  ministry  by 
which  it  hath  "pleased  thee  to  save  them  that  believe  "  !     Thou 


BI-CEN7^ENNIAL    CELEBRATION.  475 

who  hast  ascended  on  high  to  receive  gifts  for  men,  Bestow,  by 
the  laying  on  of  the  hands  of  the  presbytery,  all  the  gifts  and 
graces  which  he,  as  a  minister  and  a  Christian,  stands  in  need 
of!  Make  him  a  polished  shaft  in  thine  hand,  that  many,  by  his 
ministry,  may  be  pricked  in  the  heart  with  conv^ictions  of  sin  ! 
And  let  the  Lord  God  anoint  him  to  heal  the  broken  hearted. 
Add  many  seals  to  his  ministry  !  And,  at  last,  let  him  shine 
with  those,  who  have  turned  many  to  righteousness.     Amen  ! 

O  most  high  and  mighty  God  !  Permit  us,  we  beseech  thee, 
to  repeat  our  requests  in  behalf  of  this  thy  servant,  whom  we, 
in  the  most  solemn  manner,  set  a  part  to  the  sacred  office.  Let 
our  united  supplications  reach  thine  ear.  Lord  Ciod  of  Sabbath  ! 
Indue  him,  we  humbly  pray  thee,  with  the  graces  of  thy  Holy 
Spirit,  and  every  necessary  and  important  qualification  ;  whereby 
he  may  become  an  able  minister  of  the  Gospel,  and  may  rightly 
divide  the  word  of  truth  !  And  now,  by  thine  authority,  we 
send  him  forth  !  Be  thou  the  guide  of  his  youth  ;  and  prepare 
him  for  the  various  vicissitudes  through  which  he  will  have  to 
pass  !  May  his  life  be  a  series  of  benevolent  and  pious  actions ; 
and  his  labour  attended  with  a  blessing  from  on  high  !  And, 
when  thou  shalt  remove  him  from  this  transitory  scene  of  things, 
may  he  be  enabled  to  say,  "  I  have  fought  a  good  fight ;  I  have 
kept  the  faith  ;  and  receive  the  crown  of  righteousness,  which 
thou,  the  righteous  Judge,  shalt  give  thy  faithful  servant  at 
that  day,  through  Jesus  Christ  our  Lord.     Amen." 

Tlien  the  jiii/iistcrs  ivithdreju  fhe/'r  hands;  and  when  the 
ordained  person  rose  up,  they  saluted  him,  as  follows : 

We  honour  you,  Sir,  in  the  presence  of  all  the  people ;  and 
give  you  the  right  hand  of  fellowship  as  a  token  of  brotherhood, 
and  congratulation  ;  and  wish  you  success  in  your  office;  and  an 
answer  to  those  prayers  which  "two  or  three  have  heartily 
agreed,  u])on  earth,"  to  put  up  for  \ou. 

Tlien  the  Rev.  Isaac  Eaton  went  to  the  pulpit.  A)id  when  the 
charge,  hereunto  annexed,  was  delivered ;  and  the  j 28  hymn,  ist 
book,  of  Dr.  Watts,  was  sung,  he  dismissed  the  assembly  ;  who  had 
shotan  uncommon  attention,  ajid  pleasure,  though  they  had  been 
detained  long ;  aiul  though  the  ^ucather  7i<as  very  severe. 


APPENDIX  L. 

(Page   73.) 


CHURCHES    IN    PHILADELPHIA, 

(^^C/iris(iaii    Observer,''^  ^Sj^-Jj.      jVos.  21  and  22.') 


Prof.  Thos.  D.  Mitchell,  INLD.,  says: 

"  The  time  is  within  the  range  of  my  recollection,  when  there 
were  in  all  Philadelphia  not  more  than  two  houses  of  worship,  in 
the  tenure  of  the  Baptist  denomination.  By  far  the  most  ancient, 
is  the  one  usually  known  as  the  place  in  which  the  First  Baptist  or 
Particular  Baptist  Church  has  held  its  religious  services,  for  more 
than  half  a  century.  It  is  on  or  near  to  Second  Street,  and  south 
of  Arch  or  Mulberry  Street,  and  consequently  in  jjretty  close 
proximity  to  the  first  Episcopal  church  ever  planted  in  the  city. 
When  I  was  a  boy,  the  entrance  or  passageway  to  the  church  edi- 
fice was  by  a  large  gate  at  the  north  end  of  the  lot.  The  sanctu- 
ary was  placed  far  enough  west  of  the  Second  Street  line  to  allow 
room  for  stores,  from  the  rent  of  which  the  church  derived  a 
handsome  revenue.  Their  entire  front  on  Second  Street  was 
thus  occupied,  save  the  passageway  of  about  twelve  feet,  already 
referred  to.  The  church  edifice  was  nearly  square,  having  two 
large  doors,  one  on  the  west,  the  other  on  the  east  side,  near  to 
the  north  line.  Adjacent  to  these  doors,  were  the  stairs  leading 
to  the  gallery,  and  between  these  was  a  range  of  elevated  square 
pews.  There  was  a  broad  aisle  from  east  to  west,  in  connection 
with  the  doors  already  named,  and  two  aisles  of  less  width  lead- 
ing to  the  south  line  of  the  building.  The  pews  were  nearly  all 
square  and  uncomfortable.     Those  of  my  readers,  who  have  seen 

476 


BI-CENTENNTAL   CELEBRATION.  ^Ti 

some  of  the  old  country  churches   in   various  parts  of  Pennsyl- 
vania, will  detect  a  close  resemblance. 

"  Very  well  do  I  remember  to  have  heard  the  Rev.  Dr.  Rogers, 
(who  was  for  many  years  Vice  Provost  of  the  University,)  preach 
in  the  odd  structure,  of  which  we  have  given  a  sketch,  when 
the  congregation  was  a  mere  show  of  a  worshipping  assembly. 
The  denomination  was  then,  in  fact,  among  the  feeblest  in  the 
city,  in  respect  of  numbers,  influence,  intelligence,  and  effort. 
Indeed,  judging  as  we  too  often  do,  from  the  actual  condition  of 
the  society,  for  a  long  series  of  years,  the  inference  might  have 
been  made,  that  it  never  could  assume  a  more  elevated  position. 
There  had  been  more  to  discourage,  than  to  foster  an  educated 
ministry,  not  only  in  Philadelphia,  but  throughout  the  whole 
country,  and  hence,  the  denomination  possessed  very  i&w  minis- 
ters of  learning,  whose  pulpit  powers  could  attract  a  large  audi- 
tory. The  first  obvious  improvement  came  soon  after  the  settle- 
ment of  the  Rev.  Dr.  Staughton  in  the  ancient  Philadelphia 
church,  when  the  congregations  swelled  to  such  a  size,  as  to  make 
the  house  exceedingly  uncomfortable.  This  was  not  a  sudden 
effervescence,  but  a  permanent  growth,  requiring  such  an  altera- 
tion and  enlargement  of  the  edifice,  as  would  meet  the  exigency. 
The  lot  reached,  southward,  several  feet  beyond  the  original 
edifice,  to  what  was  then  called  Fromberger's  court,  but  since 
known  as  La  Grange  Place,  and  in  the  enlargement,  the  vacant 
space  on  the  south  side  was  added  to  the  pristine  length,  the 
width  remaining  as  at  first.  The  entire  interior  was  changed, 
making  the  aisles  two  in  number,  to  run  north  and  south,  with 
the  pulpit  at  the  south  end,  where  also  the  door  of  entrance  was 
placed.  At  a  still  later  period,  the  pulpit  was  placed  in  the 
north  end,  where  it  still  remains,  the  whole  interior,  in  all 
respects,  being  constructed  after  the  modern  style. 

"  During  the  changes  made  in  the  edifice,  the  value  of  the 
Second  street  front  became  so  great,  as  to  induce  the  owners  to 
abandon  the  gateway  entrance  from  that  street  entirely,  and  to 
dispose  of  the  ground  ;  and  now,  the  only  passage-way  of  the  first 
worshippers  in  that  sanctuary,  is  covered  with  a  brick  house,  de- 
voted to  commercial  purposes. 


478  FIRST  BAPTIST  CHURCH. 

"Some  of  llie  alterations  referred  to,  were  made  after  the 
resignation  of  Dr.  Staughton  ;  l)ut  the  vast  increase  in  the  wor- 
shipping assemblies  during  liis  early  ministry  there,  made  en- 
largement and  interior  improvements  absolutely  indispensable. 
The  crowds  that  attended  the  ministrations  of  this  eminent 
divine  were  not  occasional  and  far  between,  but  steady,  and  all 
the  while  augmenting.  No  pastor  of  any  denomination  in 
Philadelphia,  retained  so  large  a  popularity,  for  so  long  a  period 
of  years.  Many  a  time  have  I  seen  the  enlarged  house  most 
uncomfortably  packed,  and  many  were  compelled  to  go  away 
for  lack  of  room.  The  people  came  from  every  quarter  of  the 
city,  and  this  laid  the  foundation  for  numerous  places  distant 
from  the  church  edifice,  where  prayer  meetings  were  held  statedly, 
for  many  years.  From  these  too,  a  favorable  reaction  went  to 
the  fountain  head,  and  the  overcrowding  of  the  .sanctuary  was  a 
necessary  result.  Doubtless,  there  are  some  who  may  read  this 
notice,  who  remember  well  the  Tuesday  night  meeting  at  Mrs. 
Bright's,  on  Lombard,  between  Second  and  Third  streets, 
and  that  in  Carson's  School  House,  on  Ciaskill  near  Fourth 
Street.  The  sun-rise  Sabbath  meetings  at  Beasley's,  near  to  the 
Navy  Yard,  under  the  wide-spreading  willow,  and  favored  by 
the  breezes  from  the  Delaware,  attracted  hundreds  to  the  preach- 
ing of  the  gospel,  who,  but  for  that  device,  had  perhaps  never 
listened  to  the  herald  of  salvation.  Often  have  I  seen  a  great 
gathering  at  the  latter  i)lace,  which  the  benches  could  not 
accommodate,  and  yet  the  most  perfect  order  prevailed,  while 
the  eloquent  Staughton  preached  Christ  and  him  crucified. 

"  The  affectionate  manner  of  Dr.  S.  had  the  effect  of  securing 
the  attention  and  respect  of  the  young,  and  from  that  class  vast 
numbers  were  added  to  the  ist  church,  some  of  whom  yet  remain 
to  honor  the  profession  made  early  in  youth.  It  is  not  to  be 
wondered,  that  such  a  man  was  destined  to  revolutionize  the  Bap- 
tist denomination,  not  only  in  Pennsylvania,  but  throughout  the 
Union.  He  was  a  man  of  education,  an  elocjuent  divine,  a  most 
agreeable  companion,  always  instructive,  ever  ready  to  communi- 
cate. With  (lualifications  like  these,  he  was  just  the  man  to  start 
into  being  the  first  theological   school    for   his  denomination  in 


BI-CENTENNIAL    CELEBRATION.  479 

America.  He  had  been  employed  as  a  moral  and  classical  in- 
structor in  Mrs.  Rivardi's  and  Mrs.  Walton's  female  seminaries, 
and  in  similar  institutions,  and  his  competency  as  a  teacher  was 
universally  acknowledged.  Who  so  fit  to  attempt  to  instruct 
pious  young  men  in  the  elements  of  an  English  and  classical 
education,  while,  at  intervals,  their  minds  were  directed  in  the 
study  of  theology  ?  The  north-west  corner  of  Filbert  and  Eighth 
streets,  in  Philadelphia,  was  the  residence  of  Dr.  Staughton,  for 
a  season,  and  there  you  might  have  seen  Peck,  and  Welch,  and 
Cone,  and  Somers,  and  Ashton,  and  Patterson. 

"  During  Dr.  Staughton's  connection  with  the  First  Church, 
and  for  some  years  afterwards,  the  baptisms,  which  were  then 
quite  numerous,  were  performed  in  the  Schuylkill,  near  to 
property  owned  by  the  Society,  and  kept  for  that  purpose.  I 
remember  when  it  was  a  most  delightful  country  spot,  with  fine 
large  shade  trees  around  it.  A  small  house  served  the  purpose 
of  changing  dress,  and  the  whole  seemed  to  be  in  far  better 
keeping  with  the  apostolical  style,  than  the  practice  of  recent 
times.  There  were  no  wharves  there,  and  the  din  of  business 
had  not  found  its  way  to  the  consecrated  place,  and  hundreds 
went  thither  to  witness  a  scene  that  could  not  have  attracted 
them  under  different  circumstances.  Then  too,  the  old,  tight 
laced  members  of  the  church  would  not  have  recognised  any 
extent  of  dipping,  as  the  ordinance,  unless  performed  in  such  a 
place.  .  .  .  If  it  was  not  Jordan,  they  knew  that  it  was  the 
river  Schuylkill,  and  tliat  was  enough,  at  least,  in  respect  of 
quantity." 


APPENDIX  M 

(Page  90.) 


OPINIONS  OF  THE  SUPREME  COURT  IN  THE 
SPRUCE  STREET  TROUBLES.^ 

Published  in  the  "  National  Palladium  and  Freeman^ s  Joianal." 


"Philadelphia,  Monday  morning,  February  4,  1S28. 
"CASE  OF  THE  FIRST  BAPTIST  CHURCH  OF  PHILADELPHIA. 

"■  Supreme  Court — December  Term,  1827. 

"  The  case  came  up,  on  a  rule,  to  show  cause  why  the  certifi- 
cate of  the  Court  to  a  Charter  for  the  First  Baptist  Church  of 
Philadelphia,  should  not  be  revoked. 

"An  application  had  been  made  to  the  Court  by  a  minority, 
who  had  been  excluded  from  the  First  Baptist  Church  of  Phila- 
delphia, for  the  allowance  of  the  Judge  to  an  act  of  Incorpora- 
tion, under  the  Act  of  Assembly  of  April  6th,  1791.  The 
church  not  having  notice  of  the  application,  no  objection  was 
made  at  the  time,  and  the  Court  gave  its  allowance.  Before  the 
Charter  was  signed  by  the  Governor  the  counsel  for  the  church, 
obtained  information  of  its  allowance,  and  the  rule  was  granted 
by  the  Court  to  show  cause  why  it  should  not  be  revoked. 

"The  case  was  argued  on  the  7th  of  January  1828,  by  the 
counsel  on  both  sides,  and  the  opinions  of  the  Judges  were  given 
by   Judge  Houston  and  Judge  Tod,    as  follows — Chief  Justice 

^  These  opinions  are  summarized  in  I  "  Hazard's  Penna.  Register,"  p.  75. 
They  are  reprinted  in  full  from  the  newspapers. 

480 


BICENTENNIAL    CELEBRATION.  481 

Gibson  concurring  witli  tlie  former,  and  Judge  Rogers  with   tlie 
latter. 

"C.  J.  Ingersoll,  J.  R.  Ingersoll,  and  J.  Randall, 

"  Counsel  for  the  CJiurcJi. 
"  H.  BiNNEY  and  C.  Chauncey,  Esqs., 

' '  For  t]ic  applicants. ' ' 

"  Opinion  of  Judge  Houston. 

"By  an  Act  of  Assembly  of  this  Commonwealth,  the  6th  of 
April,  1 791,  third  Smith's  Laws,  it  is  provided  that  when  any 
number  of  persons,  citizens  of  this  Commonwealth,  are  asso- 
ciated, or  mean  to  associate  for  an  literary,  charitable,  or  re- 
ligious purpose,  and  shall  be  desirous  to  acquire  and  enjoy  the 
powers  and  immunities  of  a  corporation  or  body  politic  in  law, 
it  shall  and  may  be  lawful  for  such  persons  to  prepare  an  instru- 
ment in  writing,  therein  specifying  the  objects,  articles  and 
conditions,  and  name,  style  or  title  under  which  they  have  asso- 
ciated, or  mean  to  associate,  and  the  same  to  exhibit  and  present 
to  the  Attorney  General  of  the  Commonwealth,  for  the  time 
being,  and  so  forth,  and  transmit  it  to  the  Judges  of  the 
Supreme  Court,  who  are  hereby  required  to  peruse  and  examine 
the  said  instruments,  and  to  transmit  it  with  a  certificate  thereon 
endorsed,  certifying  also  the  opinion  of  the  said  Court,  touching 
the  lawfulness  of  the  objects,  articles,  and  conditions  therein 
set  forth  and  contained,  unto  the  Governor  of  the  Common- 
wealth, and  if  the  Attorney  General  and  said  Courts  shall 
certify  their  opinions  to  be  that  the  objects,  articles  and  condi- 
tions, in  such  instruments  set  forth  and  contained  are  lawful,  then 
the  said  Governor  (and  not  otherwise)  shall  transmit  the  same  to 
the  master  of  rolls  with  an  order  thereon  endorsed,  requiring 
him  to  enroll  the  same  at  the  expense  of  the  applicants,  and  upon 
the  enrollment  thereof  the  persons  so  associated  or  meaning  to 
associate,  shall,  according  to  the  objects,  articles  and  conditions 
in  the  said  instrument  set  forth  and  contained,  become  and  be 
a  corporation  or  body  politic  in  law,  and  in  tact  to  have  con- 
tinuance by  the  name,  style  and  title  in  such  instruments //-6'- 
vided  and  declared. ' ' 
31 


482  FIRST  BAPTIST  C HUNCH. 

"During  the  Sessions  of  this  Court,  certain  persons,  stating 
themselves  to  be  associated  for  a  religious  purpose,  prepared  an 
instrument  of  writing,  specifying  certain  objects,  articles  and 
conditions,  and  calling  themselves  the  First  Baptist  Church  of 
Philadeli)hia.  This  was  exhibited  first  to  the  Attorney  General, 
and  then  to  this  Court,  and  Mr.  Attorney  General  and  this 
Court  certified  the  objects,  articles  and  conditions  therein  set 
forth  to  be  lawful,  and  said  writing  was  transmitted  to  the  Gov- 
ernor. After  this,  an  ai)plication  was  made  (accompanied  by  an 
affidavit  stating  certain  facts)  to  this  Court  to  rescind  and  annul 
their  certificate. 

"  The  objections  taken  to  this  act  of  incorporation  as  they 
came  on  the  hearing  are,  that  a  religious  congregation  existed 
in  this  city  since  1742,  [1746]  called  the  Baptist  Church  of 
Philadelphia,  and  after  a  second  Congregation  was  established, 
it  was  called  the  First  Baptist  Church  of  Philadelphia.  That 
the  persons  wishing  to  be  incorporated  were  members  of  this 
same  congregation  but  are  now  separated  from  it,  whether  by 
voluntary  secession  or  expulsion  did  not  fully  appear.  That 
they  now  and  for  some  time  past  assembled  for  worship  at  the 
Academy  in  Fourth  Streets — That  they  are  less  than  one-fourth 
of  the  members  of  the  whole  original  congregation — That  ever 
since  their  separation  they  have  called  themselves  the  First  Bap- 
tist Congregation,  and  the  worshippers  at  the  Old  Church  deny 
their  rights  to  this  name — That  the  applicants  for  this  Charter 
claim  at  least  part  of  the  funds  which  belonged  to  the  congrega- 
tion, while  they  were  members  of  it.  Their  rights  to  these  funds 
or  any  part  of  them  is  denied.  The  objection  is  not  to  their 
right,  to  be  incorporated,  but  to  the  name,  and  especially  to 
the  word  First  in  that  name.  I  regret  exceedingly  the  dissen- 
tions  and  disputes  which  have  appeared  before  this  Court  among 
Congregations  of  Christians  of  more  denominations  than  one. 
Since  acts  of  incorporations  have  become  common  we  must  take 
cognizance  so  far  as  right  of  property,  are  concerned.  I  doubt 
our  power  to  interfere  in  the  case,  at  this  time,  and  in  this  way. 
Except  in  a  very  singular  case  I  doubt  our  power  to  interfere 
with   the   name  assumed  by  any  set  of  persons  intending  to  be 


B [-CENTENNIAL    CELEBRATION.  483 

incorporated.  But  it  seems  to  me  not  necessary  to  give  an 
opinion  on  either  of  these  points  now.  The  Acts  of  Assembly, 
the  Constitution  of  1776,  and  the  present  Constitution,  have 
provided,  '  That  the  rights,  privileges  and  immunities  and 
estates  of  religious  societies  and  corporate  bodies,  shall  remain  ;  ' 
l)ut  in  case  of  the  dissolution  of  a  religious  society,  or  the  divi- 
sion of  one,  there  is  yet  neither  enactments  or  decisions  on  the 
subject  so  far  as  I  know.  I  certainly  do  not  intend  to  give  any 
intimation  of  oj^inion  on  the  subject,  whether  a  society  holding 
l)roperty  and  which  se^jarates  by  consent,  or  without  consent, 
and  who  differ  as  to  the  division  of  property  which  belonged  to 
them  while  united  can  have  a  division  or  not.  Whether  an  Act 
of  Incorporation  may  render  it  easier  to  bring  and  to  carry  on  a 
suit,  or  may  become  necessary  in  order  to  support  a  suit  is  not 
necessary  now  to  be  decided.  I  think  it  may  be  assumed,  that 
if  the  people  have  no  right  to  any  of  this  property  now, 
the  act  of  incorporation,  or  the  name  by  which  the  corpora- 
tion is  to  be  designated,  will  not  add  to  their  rights,  though 
an  act  of  incorporation  may  facilitate  the  remedy.  Assum- 
ing this  I  will  go  no  further  than  to  say,  we  ought  not  in 
this  summary  way  on  motion  to  decide  anything  on  the  subject. 
The  act  vesting  in  this  Court  the  power  of  imposing  the  duty  of 
certifying  as  to  the  object,  articles  and  conditions,  would  not 
seem  to  contemplate  the  investigation  of  rights.  If  it  were  pos- 
sible that  a  name  would  vest  a  right,  then  who  is  entitled  to  that 
name  becomes  a  matter  of  importance,  and  to  be  decided  in 
fact,  and  law,  and  the  decision  ought  to  be  in  the  usual  way, 
not  in  the  summary  mode  in  which  matters  of  practice  are  de- 
cided. 

"  The  essential  acts  to  obtain  a  charter  of  incorporation  in 
this  case,  have  been  completed  without  objection.  The  objec- 
tion when  known,  is  either  of  no  weight  or  of  great  importance 
— if  the  former  we  ought  not  to  arrest  the  course  of  the  charter, 
if  the  latter  we  ought  to  investigate  it  in  another  manner.  I 
forbear  to  make  any  further  remarks,  wishing  to  say  nothing 
from  which  any  intimation  of  opinion  on  the  matter  in  dispute 
can  be  collected. 


484  FIRST  BAPTIST  CHURCH. 

"  The  grounds  of  decision  in  rejecting  the  application  are 
stated  above,  and  on  these  grounds  exchisive  of  any  opinion  on 
the  rights  of  the  parties  to  the  property  claimed,  which  I  have 
not  even  considered,  I  have  come  to  the  conclusion  that  we 
ought  not  to  interfere  at  present." 

"  Opinion  of  Judge  Tod. 

"  I  am  far  from  saying  or  believing,  that  any  deception  has 
been  intentionally  practiced  on  the  court.  But  I  may  say, 
that  when  the  paper  containing  the  articles  of  the  charter,  was  pre- 
sented for  our  allowance,  I  did  not  know  that  the  applicants  were 
but  a  very  small  minority — about  one-seventh  part  only  of  the 
First  Baptist  Church  of  Philadelphia.  I  did  not  know  that  this 
small  minority  claimed  as  their  own,  the  property  of  the  church, 
and  had  actually  given  notice  to  the  tenants  to  pay  the  rents  to 
them.  I  did  believe  that  the  whole  congregation  were  desirous 
to  have  the  charter  proposed. 

"  That  the  objects,  articles  and  conditions  set  forth  in  it, 
had  been  approved  of,  and  that  the  seven  deacons  constituted 
by  it,  trustees  and  officers  for  life,  were  //,f'/r?r/^  existing  deacons 
and  officers  of  the  Church,  not  made  so  by  us,  but  fairly 
elected  by  a  majority.  In  short  I  for  one  had  not  the  remotest 
susjjicion  that  we  were  about  to  incorporate  the  last  Baptist 
Church  of  Philadelphia,  under  the  name  of  the  First  Baptist 
Church  of  Philadelphia.  Had  all  the  matters  of  fact  appeared 
clearly  to  us  at  that  time  our  approbation  I  think  would  not  have 
been  given. 

"  It  has  been  conceded  on  all  hands,  and  the  whole  agree- 
ment by  the  Counsel  upon  both  sides  has  gone  upon  the  suppo- 
sition, that  we  are  to  decide  now,  as  we  ought  to  have  decided 
upon  a  full  knowledge  of  the  facts,  when  the  paper  was  before 
us  for  our  signatures.  My  opinion  is  to  revoke  the  allowance  so 
unadvisedly  given. 

"  A  great  trust,  almost  the  power  of  legislation  has  been  con- 
fided to  us  by  the  act  of  1791.  The  interests  appear  to  be  im- 
mense, which  depend  upon  the  exercise  of  this  authority.  The 
objects,   articles  and    conditions   of   any   i)roposed   cori)oration 


BI-CENTENNIAL    CELEBRATIOX.  485 

ought  to  be  lawful  as  well  as  appear  to  be  so.  The  word  "  law- 
fulness "  in  the  act  to  my  apprehension  includes  the  idea  of  fair- 
ness and  justice  in  substance,  rather  than  in  language.  And  in 
this  sense,  the  objects  of  this  association  are  not  in  my  opinion 
lawful.  It  is  not  lawful  for  a  new  company  to  seize  upon  the 
name  of  the  oldest  Baptist  Church  in  the  city.  It  is  not  lawful 
to  attempt  to  incorporate  themselves  into  a  title  to  property  not 
their  own.  It  is  not  lawful  to  create  an  endless  source  of  confu- 
sion litigation  so  wantonly,  without  one  single  pretext  even  of 
convenience  that  I  am  able  to  see. 

"  Mucli  force  of  argument  has  been  employed  to  show  how 
childish  and  quarrelsome  it  is  to  be  permitted  to  affect  legal 
rights. — Now,  to  dispute  about  a  name,  as  if  a  name  could  ever  ^ 
my  apprehension  there  is  some  property  in  a  name,  even  to  indi- 
viduals, more  so  to  a  corporation.  Suppose  it  is  a  name  only, 
shall  we  abolish  all  use  of  names  by  confounding  them  ?  I  think 
there  never  was  before  two  religious  societies  existing  at  the  same 
time,  in  the  same  city,  by  the  same  name,  granted  by  public 
authority.  But  it  is  not  a  name  that  is  here  to  be  taken  from 
the  old  church.  It  is  their  description.  It  is  equivalent  to 
birthright.  The  word  "  First  "  is  not  a  name,  it  imi)lies  a  fact. 
To  give  it  to  the  new  church  is  untrue  as  well  as  unfair,  and 
introduces  confusion  and  jargon  into  common  discourse  as 
completely  as  it  does  unto  legal  rights.  What  seventeen  men 
would  have  the  face  to  ask  the  Legislature  for  a  Charter  to  another 
Bank,  under  the  name  of  the  '  Bank  of  North  America.' 

"  But  here  it  is  evidently  not  intended  to  be  a  mere  name.  This 
new  association  even  without  any  charter  have  begun  by  claim- 
ing the  property  of  the  old  church,  and  giving  formal  notices  to 
the  tenants,  that  they  the  members  of  the  new  association  are 
the  proper  landlords  to  whom  the  rents  must  be  paid.  It  is 
clearly  not  the  name  which  they  are  struggling  for.  They 
appear  to  use  it  as  one  of  the  means.  They  assume  everything 
belonging  to  the  old  Church  throughout.  They  give  their  secu- 
lar officers  the  names  of  trustees,  because  as  I  take  it  the  old 
church    holds    it  property   by    trustees ;     a    name  for  executive 

\}  This  is  not  clear,  but  is  reprinted  exactly  as  published.] 


486  FIRST  BAPTIST  CHURCH. 

officers,  perhaps  unusual  in  a  charter  but  necessary  to  an  unchar- 
tered congregation.  And  to  make  it  next  to  impossible  to 
unfasten  the  hold  of  these  trustees  u^ion  the  projjertv-,  self- 
nominated,  without  any  election  that  we  hear  of,  they  are 
created  officers,  and  have  all  the  temporal  affairs,  and  the  whole 
property  of  the  Church  placed  in  their  hands  for  life,  without 
reserving  any  power  of  removal,  contrary  I  believe  to  all  the 
former  rules  of  every  Baptist  Church  in  Christendom.  For  I 
take  it  to  be  notorious  that  as  respects  church  government  the 
Baptist  denomination  of  Christians  are  rigid  independence,  with 
the  completes!  equality  of  rights  among  the  members  of  each 
separate  church. 

"  If  there  were  nothing  else  in  this  case  I  dislike  the  example. 
There  is  in  the  Commonwealth  much  valuable  and  defenceless 
property  in  the  same  situation.  Many  of  the  oldest  religious 
societies  appear  to  have  made  it  a  point  of  conscience  not  to  ask 
an  incorporation  by  law.  What  on  this  occasion  may  have  been 
attempted  through  mere  discord,  may  in  other  cases  be  repeated 
for  the  mere  sake  of  plunder." 


OPINIONS  OF  THE  SUPREME  COURT  IN  THE 
REHEARING  BEFORE  THE  FULL  BENCH. 

Pithlished  in  the  '■'■United  States  Gazette,'''  Saturday  morning,  April 4,  iSzg. 
Pnblished  by  Hart  S^  Chandler,  68  Dock  Street.  Reported  for  the  "  United 
States  Gazette.'''' 

"  Supreme  Court. 

"  The  case  of  the  First  Baptist  Church  was  argued  before  the 
vSupreme  Court  of  Pennsylvania,  in  March,  1828,  when  one  seat 
was  vacant,  and  the  four  judges  were  equally  divided  in  opinion. 
The  cause  again  came  before  the  court  at  their  late  term.  It 
was  an  application  by  the  minority  of  the  church,  amounting  to 
about  59,  for  a  charter,  assuming  the  name  of  the  mother  church. 
Against  the  assumption  of  this  name,  the  majority,  amounting 
to  about  430,  remonstrated.  It  appeared  in  the  course  of  the 
evidence   that   the  annual    income   of  the  church  amounted  to 


BI-CENTENNIAL    CELEBRATION.  _  487 

$3,300,  or  thereabouts.  The  subject  was  discussed  with  great 
learning  and  ability  by  the  counsel,  who  exhausted  research  into 
the  ecclesiastical  and  judicial  subjects  connected  with  the  enquiry. 
After  the  argument,  the  Chief  Justice  observed  that  the  opinions 
of  the  senior  members  of  the  court  continued  unchanged,  and 
of  course  are  equally  divided  ;  and  that  it  only  remained  for 
Judge  Smith  to  deliver  his  opinion,  who  then  pronounced  the 
following  opinion  : 

"Judge  Smith's  Opinion. 

"  On  the  15th  day  of  December,  1827,  a  motion  was  made  in 
this  court  for  a  rule  to  show  cause,  why  the  certificate  of  the 
Judges  of  the  Supreme  Court,  on  the  application  of  Levi  Gar- 
rett, John  McLeod,  and  others,  to  a  charter,  as  the  First  Bap- 
tist Church  of  Philadelphia,  should  not  be  vacated.  The  case 
has  been  twice  argued,  and  the  last  argument  has  taken  a  very 
wide  range  indeed  ;  and  although  I  most  readily  acknowledge 
the  ability  with  which  the  case  has  been  argued,  on  the  part  of 
the  applicants,  as  well  'as  on  the  part  of  those  who  oppose  the 
granting  of  the  charter,  I  must  be  permitted  to  say,  that  in  my 
opinion  it  was  not  necessary  to  travel  over  so  much  ground  in 
order  to  arrive  at  a  correct  decision  of  the  case  ;  for  the  real 
merits  of  the  question  lie  within  a  very  narrow  compass.  It  is 
truly,  as  the  learned  counsel  for  the  applicants  stated,  a  question 
of  law  ;  which  admits  of  an  easy  solution,  if  we  do  not  lose  sight  of 
the  real  question.  True,  it  is  an  important  one  ;  and  as  such,  I 
have  approached  and  considered  it,  with  all  the  attention  in  my 
power,  and  at  length  formed  an  opinion  to  the  best  of  my  under- 
standing. 

"The  reasons  for  my  opinion,  satisfactory  at  least  to  my 
mind,  and  which,  I  trust  I  can  hereafter,  if  necessary,  repeat, 
repose  upon,  and  be  responsible  for,  I  will  now  proceed  to 
state. 

"  The  certificate  was  granted,  in  pursuance  of  the  directions 
of  an  act  of  the  general  assembly,  passed  on  the  6th  day  of 
April,  1791,  entitled,  'an  act  to  confer  on  certain  associations 
of  the  citizens  of  this  commonwealth,  the  powers  and  immuni- 


488  .  /-VA'ST  BAPTISI^  CHURCH. 

ties  of  corporations,  or  bodies  politic  in  law.'  By  this  act  it  is 
made  lawful  for  any  number  of  persons,  citizens  of  this  common- 
wealth, and  who  are  associated,  or  mean  to  associate,  for  any 
religious  purpose,  and  who  may  be  desirous  of  enjoying  the 
powers  and  immunities  of  a  body  politic  in  law,  to  prepare  an 
instrument  in  writing,  in  which  the  objects,  articles,  conditions 
and  name,  style  or  title  of  the  association,  must  be  specified, 
and  exhibit  the  same  to  the  attorney  general,  who  is  to  peruse 
and  examine  it  ;  and  if,  on  examination,  the  objects,  articles 
and  conditions,  are  in  his  opinion  lawful,  it  is  to  be  transmitted 
to  the  supreme  court,  with  his  certificate  thereon  endorsed.  If 
the  supreme  court  concur  with  the  attorney  general  as  to  the 
lawfulness  of  the  objects,  articles  and  conditions,  the  instrument, 
with  a  certificate  of  the  court  thereon  endorsed,  testifying  their 
opinion,  is  directed  to  be  transmitted  to  the  governor;  who 
theti  only  is  to  transmit  the  same  to  the  roll's  office,  requiring  it 
to  be  there  enrolled  ;  and  upon  tlie  enrollment  thereof,  the  per- 
sons associated,  according  to  the  objects,  articles  and  conditions 
set  forth  in  the  instrument,  became  a  body  politic  in  law^  and 
fact,  to  have  continuance  by  the  name,  style,  and  title  in  such 
instrument  provided  and  declared. 

"  It  is  admitted  that  the  association  in  question  is  for  a  re- 
ligious purpose.  The  preliminary  steps  necessary  to  obtain  a 
charter  have  been  taken,  for  an  instrument  in  writing,  specify 
ing  the  objects,  articles  and  conditions,  and  name,  style  or- 
title  of  the  association,  was  exhibited  to  the  attorney  general, 
who  has  duly  certified  that  in  his  opinion  the  objects,  articles 
and  conditions  therein  set  forth  and  contained,  are  lawful.  In 
this  opinion  the  sui)reme  court  have  concurred,  and  have  en- 
dorsed their  certificate  on  the  instrument ;  but  the  enrollment 
required  by  the  act,  has  not  been  made. 

"  It  appears  that  for  more  than  eighty-five  years,  a  religious 
congregation  has  existed  in  the  city  of  Philadeljjhia.  called  at 
first  the  Baptist  Church  of  Philadelphia,  and  then,  in  the  year 
1802,  about  sixty-six  years  after  the  establishment  of  this  church, 
it  was  called  the  First  Baptist  Church. — The  Association  whose 
charter  is  now   before   us,   were   formerlv  members  of  the   h'irst 


BI-CENTENNIAL    CELEBRATION.  489 

Baptist  Church,  from  which  they  have  separated.  They  now 
worship  at  the  Academy  in  Fourth  Street,  and  call  themselves 
also  the  first  Baptist  Church  of  Philadelphia.  It  is  certainly  not 
surprising  that  in  so  flourishing  a  country,  and  with  so  rapidly 
increasing  a  jiopulation,  members  of  one  church  should  separate, 
and  form  distinct  congregations.  This  has  frequently  hajjpened 
in  the  counties  of  this  state,  as  well  as  this  city;  the  right  to 
separate  is  not  denied  to  the  applicants  in  the  present  case,  and 
is  indeed  indisi)utal)le. 

"The  question  then  is,  whether,  under  these  circumstances, 
the  certificate  of  this  court,  testifying  their  opinion  of  the  law- 
fulness of  the  objects,  articles  and  conditions,  set  forth  in  this 
instrument,  should  be  revoked?  Before  I  proceed  further  in  the 
consideration  of  this  subject,  let  me  remark,  that  in  regard  to 
the  business  of  charters,  the  act  of  assembly  requires  that  the 
supreme  court  should  give  their  opinion,  whether  the  objects, 
articles  and  conditions  set  forth  in  the  instrument  of  asso- 
ciation, be  lawful ;  and  that  is  all.  And  that  we  are  confined  to 
this,  is,  I  think,  evident  from  what  fell  from  the  late  chief  jus- 
tice, in  6th  Sergeant  and  Rawle,  505,  not  particularly  cited  in  the 
argument.  There,  in  the  case  of  St.  Mary's  church,  the  justly 
venerated  chief  justice  remarked  that,  '  In  this  business  of  char- 
ters, the  court  acts  under  the  grant  of  an  extraordinary  power, 
of  a  special  nature,  and  confined  to  the  cases  described  in  the  act 
of  assembly.'  I  admit  that  the  authority  vested  in  the  Supreme 
court,  by  the  above  mentioned  act,  is  important:  or  in  the  lan- 
guage of  the  able  and  ingenious  counsel  who  concluded  the  argu- 
ment, '  a  vast  power' ;  but  it  cannot  be  said  to  be  a  dangerous 
authority,  restricted  as  it  is,  to  associations  for  literary,  charitable 
and  religious  purposes. 

"The  reason  for  establishing  the  mode  of  creating  corpora- 
tions prescribed  in  this  act,  are  stated  in  the  preamble  \  and  it 
cannot  be  doubted  that  the  benefits  anticipated  by  the  legisla- 
ture, have  been  realized  in  the  oi)eration  of  the  law;  but  if  it 
were  otherwise,  the  power  to  remedy  the  evil  is  not  lodged  in 
this  court.  The  alarm,  however,  which  has  been  often  expressed 
bv  some  of  our  wisest  and  best  men,  in  regard  to  the  multiplica- 


490  FIRST  BAPTIST  CHURCH. 

tion  of  corporations,  and  charter  privileges,  cannot  extend  to 
the  increase  of  such  associations  as  are  contemplated  in  the  act 
of  1791,  the  objects  of  which  are  essentially  beneficial. 

"  The  members  of  the  original  or  old  Baptist  church,  in  whose 
behalf  this  rule  has  been  granted,  oljject  to  the  charter  on 
account  of  the  small  number  of  those  who  have  associated  to- 
gether. But  this  objection  cannot  be  sustained.  The  act  of 
assembly  does  not  require  a  thousand,  a  hundred,  or  fifty;  or 
any  particular  number.  The  jirivilege  is  extended  by  the  act  to 
any  number;  and  the  answer  to  this  objection  is,  that  a  number 
of  persons  according  to  the  act,  demand  that  the  supreme  court 
should  comply  with  the  requisitions  of  this  law. 

'■'■  A  more  plausible  objection  is  this  :  The  old  church,  denies 
the  right  of  the  applicants  to  the  name,  style  or  title  of  the 
'First  Bai)tist  Church  of  Philadelphia.'  "Upon  considera- 
tion it  does,  however,  appear  to  me,  that  there  is  more  of  feel- 
ing than  of  sound  reason  in  this  objection. — What  real  incon- 
venience can  the  original  church  sustain  ?  Surely  it  cannot  be 
pretended  that  the  history  of  the  congregation  can  be  blotted 
out,  or  confounded  by  this  assumption  of  a  name  on  the  part  of 
the  association.  Can  the  original  church  suffer  any  detriment 
in  its  rights  of  whatever  description  by  reason  of  this  assump- 
tion? Unquestionably  not.  Can  it  affect  the  identity  of  the 
original  congregation,  or  endanger  their  property?  The  Third 
section  of  the  seventh  article  of  our  excellent  constitution  pro- 
tects them  effectually  when  it  declares  that  the  rights,  privileges, 
immunities,  and  estates  of  religious  societies  shall  remain  ;  and 
hence  I  conclude,  these  to  them  invaluable  rights,  as  well  as 
their  estates,  cannot  be  taken  away  by  any  name  in  a  charter, 
such  as  the  one  before  us.  Besides,  it  is  not  found  in  the  trans- 
actions of  society,  that  identity  of  names  produces  any  confu- 
sion of  right,  nor  can  it  be  seriously  apprehended  in  this  case, 
that  the  association  would  in  consequence  of  the  corporate 
name  of  'The  first  Baptist  Church  of  Philadelphia'  lay  claim 
to  anything  which  belongs  to  the  old  congregation.  But  if 
they  should,  we  cannot  now  decide  on  it  for  the  act  of  assemblv 
does  not  contemplate,  that  this  court  should  in  this  wav,  decide 


BICENTENNIAL    CELEBRATION.  491 

claims  or  contested  facts.  We  have  no  aulhority  to  do  so  in 
this  stage  of  the  business  ;  they  must  be  tried  and  decided  lil<e 
all  other  facts  by  Jury.  Let  me  here  observe  that  their  friend 
and  brother  did  really  place  this  case  in  a  strong  and  striking 
view  before  the  opponents  of  this  charter — What,  said  he  to 
them  on  the  28th  of  March,  1S27,  is  the  point  in  dispute?  Is 
it  the  name?  *  Let  them  have  it,  and  do  you  take  it  too,  or 
take  another.  I  would  not  care  a  fraction  about  it.  Do  they  want 
your  funds  ?  This  is  a  legal  question,  and  mav  l:)e  brought  be- 
fore a  legal  tribunal  by  yourselves  or  them,  as  the  case  may  be, 
or  you  may  let  them  keep  it  if  they  have  got  it,  and  do  without 
it.  Neither  the  name,  nor  the  money  have  anything  to  do  with 
the  salvation  of  your  souls  or  the  souls  of  your  neighbors.  In 
the  meantime,  while  the  controversy  is  going  on,  Satan  will  re- 
joice, religion  will  decline,  and  souls  will  be  lost.  Were  it  in 
my  power,  I  would  as  soon  as  possible  stay  all  proceedings,  and 
quietly  go  on  to  save  as  many  sinners  as  I  could  and  make  my 
people  as-good  as  possible.  If  you  do  this,  God  will  help  you 
with  or  without  the  \\\o\\ty  or  tlie  name.  If  he  do  not  neither 
the  one,  or  the  other  will  do  you  any  good.'  As  a  Christian,  I 
must  say,  I  could  have  wished,  the  advice  here  given,  by  a  good 
and  pious  minister  of  the  Gospel,  had  been  followed,  if  it  had, 
we  would  not  have  been  engaged  a  whole  week  in  hearing  a  con- 
troversy so  painful  to  many  and  after  all,  perhaps  satisfactory  to 
very  i&w.  This  epistle  of  their  Rev.  Brother  Way  land,  let  me 
observe,  contains  sound  legal  doctrine,  and  it  breathes  the  true 
spirit  of  the  Christian  religion,  and,  I  regret,  that  the  precepts 
which  it  endeavors  to  inculcate,  were  not  followed  in  1827, 
when  it  was  written  :  nay,  I  regret  that  in  1825,  the  gentlemen 
composing  the  majority  of  the  church,  did  not  pursue  in  regard 
to  their  brethren,  the  minority,  a  similar  course  of  conduct, 
perhaps  it  would  have  been  infinitely  better  if  they  had  done 
so,  instead  of  which  we  find  them,  in  1825,  deposing  their 
Christian  brethren  from  oiifice,  soon  after,  suspending  them  from 
the  church  privileges,  and  finally  expelling  them  from  the  church 
and  its  rights  altogether,  and  indeed  but  yesterday,  we  were  told, 
within  their  hearing,  that   they  deserved   all    this,  because  they 


492  FIRST  BAPTIST  CIIUKCII. 

were  mere  devils.  Such  conduct  to  say  the  least  of  it,  from 
Christian  brethren,  towards  brethren  of  the  same  church,  is  not 
calculated  to  bring  about  a  Christian  reconciliation  or  to  save 
the  souls  of  sinners,  at  least  not  in  my  opinion. — But  in  relation 
to  this  opinion  the  sole  question  is,  can  this  court  pronounce 
the  name,  style  and  title  of  the  first  Baptist  Church  of  Philadel- 
l)hia  set  forth  in  the  instrument,  to  be  unlawful?  for  if  lawful, 
the  court  are  required  to  certify  their  opinion  to  that  effect. 
The  association  have  a  right  to  choose  a  name  for  themselves, 
and  there  is  nothing  in  the  adoption  of  a  name,  which  is  borne 
by  another,  which  infracts  any  known  law.  It  neither  deprives 
the  other  of  his  name,  nor  of  anything  else.  I  am  therefore  of 
opinion,  that  this  objection  is  without  foundation. 

"At  the  close  of  the  argument  a  point  was  made  not  men- 
tioned before,  that  the  fifth  article  in  the  charter  was  not  lawful, 
nay  that  it  is  palpably  flagrantly  and  frightfully  unlawful,  and  I 
believe,  it  was  even  said  that  it  would  establish  a  papacy  in  this 
state.  If  I  really  thought  so,  I  would  be  the  last  man  to  sanc- 
tion such  a  charter,  but  it  does  not  do  so — let  me  approach  this 
frightful  monster  and  see  what  it  is.  A  coj^y  of  the  fifth  article 
of  the  charter  is  as  follows:  'The  secular  affairs  of  said  cor- 
poration shall  devolve  upon  &  be  managed  by  deacons,  John 
M'Leod,  &c.  naming  the  rest  and  their  successors  in  office  :  who 
are  declared  a  board  of  Trustees  for  that  purpose,  and  shall  at 
all  times  hereafter  have  full  power  and  authority  to  manage, 
transact  and  dispose  of  all  the  estate  and  effects  and  temporal 
affairs  of  the  church  in  the  most  judicious  manner  consistent 
with  Christian  obligation  and  according  to  the  bj-laws  of  the 
corporation.'  It  provides  that  they  shall  elect  their  secretary 
and  Treasurer,  and  make  report  of  their  doings  to  the  church. 

"  In  my  opinion  there  is  not  the  color  of  objection  to  any  part 
of  this  article  :  or  at  least  no  objection  which  any  other  person 
than  a  member  of  the  corporation  can  make.  In  the  first  place 
it  provides  that  the  secular  affairs  of  said  corporation  shall  de- 
volve on,  and  be  managed  by  the  ])resent  deacons  (naming 
them)  and  their  successors  in  office,  and  they  are  declared  a 
hoard  of  Trustees  ^ox  that  purpose,  and   shall  at  all   times  here- 


BI- CENTENNIA L    CELEB RA  TION.  493 

after  have  power  and  authority  to  manage,  transact  and  dispose 
of  all  the  estate  and  effects  and  temporal  affairs  of  the  Church, 
in  the  most  judicious  manner,  consistent  with  Christian  obliga- 
tion and  the  by-laws  of  the  corporation.      I  shall  not  mention  ob- 
jections made  to  this  article  on  account  of  what  is  not  in  it. — 
Where   a  religious  society,  or  a   charitable,   or  a  literary  one, 
applies  for  an  act  of  incorporation,  one  reason  for  this  is  always, 
for  the  easier  and   better  arrangement  of  its  property;  and  this 
arrangement  where   the  society  is  numerous  is  generally  vested 
in  a  few  of  the  members  (who  are  sometimes  named  in  the  char- 
ter and  sometimes  not)  and   their  successors.     Those   in  whom 
the  management  is  invested  may  hold  the  appointment  for  one 
year,  two,  three,  five  or  more,  or  for  life.     They  may  be  in  dif- 
ferent persons,  or  it  may  be  requisite  that  they  or  some  of  them 
should  be  of  a  particular  description,  for  example — The   minis- 
ter for  the  time  being  may  always  be  one,  or  it  may  be  requisite, 
that  they  should  be  communicants  of  the  Church,  or  deacons,  or 
elders — and  all  these  are  equallx'  lawful  articles  in  the  Charter. 
And  we  cannot  reject  an  application  for  a  Charter,  because  the 
managers  of  the  fund,  by  whatever   name   they   may   be   called, 
are  to  be  elected   more  frequently  or  less  frequently  than  we 
would  advise,  nor  because  they  may  be  chosen  from  among  those 
who  held  pews,  or  must  be  from  those  in  full  communion— and 
if  a  religious  society  choose  it  to  be  so,  it  is   lawful,  that  their 
minister  or  their  elders  or  deacons,  that  those  who  are  eminent 
and  selected  for  piety  and   knowledge  in  ecclesiastical   matters, 
should  also  be  entrusted  with  the  management  of  the  funds.      I 
am  therefore  of  the  opinion  that  the  rule  should  be  discharged." 
judge  Tod  then  declared  the  following  opinion  as  containing 
the  sentiments  of  himself  and  Judge  Rogers. 

Judge  Tod's  Opinion. 

"  Much  new  evidence  has  been  produced,  and  new  arguments 
have  been  offered  ;  by  which  I  must  say  that  my  opinion  is  not 
changed  but  rather  confirmed.  Some  notice  of  this  additional 
matter  appears  to  be  indispensable.  We  are  asked,  if  we  can 
well  retract  our  ai)probation   solemnly  given  to  the  charter?     I 


494  FIRST  BAPTIST  CIIUKCII. 

would  answer  that  to  correct  an  error  is  not  to  retract  our 
opini(jn.  The  usage  had  been  to  attend  to  this  l)usiness  of 
signing  charters  not  in  open  court.  It  happened  that  the  a]jpli- 
cation  in  this  case  was  made  shortly  after  both  the  Judges  who 
resided  in  the  city  had  unfortunately  been  removed  by  death. 
We  might  all  have  known,  and  i^robably  did  know,  of  the  First 
Baptist  Church  of  Philadelphia,  without  knowing  that  a  num- 
ber of  gentlemen,  professing  the  Baj^tist  faith,  had  presented  a 
charter  for  allowance,  the  first  article  of  which  is,  '  Ihis  cor- 
poration shall  be  called  and  known  by  the  name,  style  or  title 
of  "  The  First  Baptist  Ciiiirch  of  Philadelphia .''  '  When  all 
those  thus  applying,  without  any  exception,  so  far  from  being 
authorised  by,  or  belonging  to,  the  real  existing.  First  Baptist 
Church  of  Philadelphia,  were  not  aliens  only  but  enemies  to 
that  church  and  had  been  so  for  }ears. 

"  Some  matters  doubtful  before  are  no  longer  so.  What  was 
then  assumed  as  an  historical  fact  is  now  proved  and  admitted 
— The  perfect  equality  of  all  the  members  of  every  Baptist 
church,  and  among  the  churches  themselves  the  most  entire 
independence  of  each  other.  Much  new  proof  has  been  ad- 
duced as  to  the  removal  from  office  of  the  former  deacons,  and 
the  expulsion  from  the  church  of  them  and  their  adherents. — 
On  this  head  the  rankest  injustice  is  charged. — Were  it  admitted 
for  a  moment  that  the  charge  was  made  out  by  the  proof,  yet 
perhaps  it  might  be  asked  what  authority  had  we  under  the  act 
of  1 791,  to  try  and  punish  these  offenses?  If  there  has  been 
any  violation  of  a  legal  right,  the  suffering  jjarty  might  have 
had  a  legal  redress  in  some  mode,  and  a  trial  by  Jury.  If  there 
is  no  legal  right  in  the  case,  but  a  matter  of  ecclesiastical  disci- 
pline only,  it  might,  I  think,  be  asked  of  those  gentlemen,  who 
of  their  own  free  will  have  joined  the  Baptist  Church,  why  they 
should  decline  what  every  Baptist  by  becoming  such  agrees  to 
submit  to,  the  judgment  of  his  peers,  in  all  church  matters, 
without  appeal  to  any  power  on  earth  ? 

"  Even  suppose  the  majority  to  have  acted  unjustly  and  the 
power  of  redress  to  be  in  us,  yet  we  ought,  in  my  opinion,  to  avoid, 
if  possible,  this  sort  of  redress  and  this  sort  of  punishment.      I 


BI-CENTENXIAL    CELEBRATION.  495 

would  hardly  consent  to  do  anything  against  the  First  Baptist 
Church  of  Philadelphia,  which  might  have  even  the  appearance 
of  degrading  them  from  their  style  and  title,  and  putting  them 
to  the  hard  necessity  of  giving  up  their  old  name  and  taking  a 
new  one,  or  else  encounter  the  risk  of  subjugation  to  a  self- 
nominated  hierarchy,  and  a  sort  of  revolution  in  the  oldest 
Baptist  Church  in  Pennsylvania,  from  democracy  to  oligarchy. 
In  point  of  fact  the  injustice  is  not  apparent  to  me  from  the 
evidence.  It  would  seem  that  the  majority  has  done  no  more 
than  was  required  by  their  church  rules,  and  by  self-preserva- 
tion :  no  more  than  is  usually  done  in  such  cases  in  independent 
churches.  The  same  power  is  exercised  by  all  religious  com- 
mittees. They  proceed  in  their  own  forms,  and  not  in  the  forms 
of  criminal  law.  There  appears  nothing  very  intolerant  in  a 
majority  refusing  to  be  harassed  by  endless  broils  and  conten- 
tions, nor  anything  in  the  nature  of  liberty,  inconsistent  with  a 
proper  remedy  against  faction  and  disorder  when  productive  of 
mischiefs  otherwise  incurable.  In  cases  of  much  greater  magni- 
tude, and  those  of  the  highest  importance,  how  far  the  majority 
is  permitted  to  go  in  sustaining  the  rights  and  integrity  of  the 
whole  body  by  necessary  coercion,  will  appear  evident  from  the 
law  of  the  commonwealth  which  declares,  '  That  if  any  person 
shall  erect  or  form,  or  shall  endeavor  to  erect  or  form  any  new 
and  independent  government  within  the  boundaries  of  this 
commonwealth,  or  shall  put  up  any  notice  written  or  printed, 
calling  or  requesting  the  people  to  meet  together  for  the  design 
or  purpose  of  forming  a  new  and  independent  government,  and 
all  who  shall  assemble  themselves  for  that  purpose  shall  be  ad- 
judged guilty  of  high  treason.'     And  so  forth. 

"At  any  rate,  the  majority  must  govern  in  Baptist  Churches, 
or  there  is  no  government  among  them — equality  among  the 
members  belonging  to  that  faith  is  older  than  our  present  civil 
liberty  or  our  constitutions — not  a  {^w  of  our  civil  rights  have 
perhaps  been  derived,  from  the  religious  reformers.  When  it  is 
insisted  that  the  minority  have  their  rights  also,  I  agree  most 
heartily  to  that,  but  I  do  not  agree  that  the  right  to  govern 
shall,    by   any  means,    be   numbered   among   the   rights  of  the 


496  FIRST  BAPTIST  CHURCH. 

minority.  The  scliism  in  question  apjjears  to  liave  arisen  out  of 
a  mere  squabble  for  power.  The  minority  once  offered  in  effect 
to  aid  [end  ?]  the  war  if  the  new  deacons  would  resign  their  post ; 
this  offer  was  evaded,  they  say,  and  on  this  point  I  incline  to 
agree  with  the  minority  that  there  was  an  evasion,  but  that  is 
immaterial  to  the  question  before  us.  Thus  five  or  six  gentlemen, 
respectable  and  estimable  men  no  doubt,  for  a  long  time  leaders 
and  officers  in  the  First  Baptist  Church,  l)ut  who  by  the  funda- 
mental laws  of  the  society  held  their  offices  only  during  the 
mere  will  and  pleasure  of  the  majority,  become  indignant  be- 
cause the  majority  in  the  exercise  of  their  lawful  power  had 
elected  additional  deacons  with  co-ordinate  authority.  If  there 
were  other  causes  of  dissension,  they  have  not  been  specified. 
The  Baptist  association  meet  to  settle  the  dispute.  They  decide 
nothing,  nor  had  they  power  to  decide.  They  recommend  a 
mode  of  compromise  and  ex])ress  an  opinion,  as  I  understand  it, 
unequivocably  favorable  to  the  minority,  but  which  opinion  is 
admitted  not  to  be  binding  upon  the  majority  any  further  than 
they  think  fit  to  be  bound.  The  minority  persist,  and  the 
church  persists.  The  old  officers  are  joined  by  the  one-seventh 
part  or  one-sixth  part  of  the  congregation.  The  church  then 
went  on  with  quite  as  much  slowness,  in  my  opinion,  and  with 
quite  as  much  regard  to  all  the  forms  and  substance  of  justice, 
as  is  usual  in  such  contests,  to  put  the  only  end  which  probably 
could  be  put  to  the  whole  disturbance  by  expelling  the  malcon- 
tents. The  minority  thus  expelled,  assume  the  appearance  of 
the  existing  visible  church.  They  propose  a  charter  in  name  of 
the  church,  but  in  effect  to  themselves  by  investing  their  leaders 
as  officers  with  very  large  powers.  This  is  done  without  notice 
to  the  other  side,  of  their  intentions,  or  notice  to  us  of  the 
uncommon  circumstances  of  the  case.  The  existing  church 
unanimously  rejects  and  abhors  this  charter  of  incorporation. 
Our  approbation  thus  obtained  not  having  been  conclusively 
acted  upon,  may  yet  be  annulled,  and  in  my  opinion  ought  to 
be  annulled.  But  as  the  court  thinks  differently,  I  shall  do 
what  in  my  api)rehension  these  applicants  have  not  done,  most 
readily  submit  to  the  majority. 


BI-CENTENNIAL    CELEBRATION.  497 

"  The  chief  justice  then  made  some  desultory  remarks  by  way 
of  advice  to  the  majority,  in  which  he  recommended  to  them  to 
grant  to  the  minority  their  share  of  the  property,  which  was 
clearly  the  only  matter  in  dispute.  The  cause  of  religion,  he 
said,  had  nothing  to  do  with  the  controversy.  We  did  not 
understand  the  chief  justice,  as  he  has  been  reported,  to  say 
that  there  was  any  legal  writ  or  process  by  which  the  property 
of  the  church  could  be  divided;  or  that-  the  majority  of  the 
church  could  be  compelled  to  make  partition ;  but  that  he 
recommended  this  course  as  a  fair  and  equitable  mode  of  settling 
the  controversy. 

"J.  Randall,  J.  R-  IngersoU,  and  C.  J.  Ingersoll,  for  the 
majority;  Charles  Chauncey  and  Horace  Binney  for  the 
minority." 

[Mr.  T-  F.  Hagen  kindly  compared  the  above  report  with  the 
full  report  of  the  case  in  3  Hazard's  "Pennsylvania  Register," 
page  225,  and  found  it  correct.] 


32 


APPENDIX  N. 

(Page  JOO.) 


THE  BAPTISTERION.^ 


"  Some  places  are  famous  in  history  for  having  been  the  bap- 
tisterions  of  the  ancients,  as  Jordan,  Enon  and  Bethabara  in 
Palestine;  Swale,  Gwenie,  etc.,  in  England,  particularly  Swale 
which  St.  Austin  is  said  to  have  consecrated  and  therein  to  have 
baptized  10,000  in  the  depth  of  winter  about  the  year  595. 
And  why  should  not  Schuylkill  be  mentioned  with  Jordan,  Swale 
and  Gwenie,  seeing  there  is  a  like  reason  for  it,  especially  that 
l)art  delineated  in  the  frontispiece?  In  this  river  I  have  bap- 
tized many.  My  predecessor.  Rev.  J.  Jones,  etc.,  had  done 
the  same  before  me.  Nay,  a  late  clergyman  of  the  Church  of 
England  was  wont  to  make  this  river  his  baptisterion.  The  jjart 
above  referred  to  is  about  a  mile  and  a  half  out  of  Philadelphia  ; 
and  is  not  only  convenient  for  the  celebration  of  baptism,  but 
most  delightful  for  rural  sceneries.  Hither  the  towns  peoi)le 
in  summer  resort  for  recreation  and  entertainment.  To  this 
river  hath  Francis  Hopkinson,  Esq.,  led  his  bards  and  literati 
to  sweep  their  lyres  and  meditate  on  justice  and  religion.  Round 
said  spot  are  large  oak,  affording  fine  shade.  Underfoot,  is  a 
green,  variegated  with  wild  flowers  and  aromatic  herbs.  Just 
by  was  lately  erected  a  house  for  dressing  and  undressing,  and 
for  the  use  of  the  proseuches  of  the  ancients.  Act.  xvi,  13  ;  it 
is  divided  into  two  rooms  by  a  hanging  partition,  and  so  con- 
trived that  when  the  partition  is  lifted  up  and  the  doors  opened, 
and  the  folding  shutter  in  the  front  let  down,  that  it  resembles  an 

1  Morgan  Edwards'  "  Materials,"  p.  129. 
498 


BI-CENTENNIAL    CELEBRATION. 


499 


alcove,  facing  a  prospect  of  land,  wood,  water,  rocks,  hills,  boats, 
etc.  In  the  midst  of  this  spot  is  a  large  stone  rising  about  three 
feet  above  ground,  round  which  I  have  often  seen  the  people  (in 
imitation  of  Christ,  Lu.  iii,  21)  kneel  to  pray  after  baptism  had 
been  administered.  I'he  top  is  made  by  level  by  art,  and  steps 
hewn  to  ascend  on  the  top  stands  the  minister  to  preach  to  the 
people  who  resort  thither  to  see  bajjtism  performed;  and  a  mul- 
titude of  hearers  he  commonly  has.  I  have  once  reckoned 
there  32  carriages,  and  have  often  seen  i)resent  from  100  to  1000 
people,  all  behaving  much  better  than  in  some  other  places. 
With  these  exercises  of  religion  and  the  delightfulness  of  the 
place  many  confess  to  have  had  such  feelings  as  the  disci jjles 
when  they  said.  Lord,  it  is  good  for  us  to  be  here  .'  Let  us  here 
erect  tabernacles  I  By  way  of  conclusion  to  this  ajjpendix  1  will 
add  the  hymn  that  is  wont  to  be  sung  in  this  place  upon  the 
occasions  before  named,  with  some  additions  to  accommodate 
it  to  Helmsley-tune ;  if  it  be  sung  to  the  old  tune,  the  additions 
(in  crochets)  must  be  omitted,  and  two  verses  put  together. 

"SCHUYLKILL    HYMN. 

"Jesus  master  O  discover 

Pleasure  in  us,  now  we  stand 
On  this  bank  of  Schuylkill  river, 
To  obey  thy  great  command. 
{^P lea  sure  in  its,  pleanire  in  lis,  pleasure  in  i/s, 
JV/io  obey  t/tv  great  conuiiaiid.) 

"  Make  this  stream,  like  Jordan,  blessed. 
Leprous  Naamans  enter  in. 
Rise,  saith  Jesus,  be  baptized. 
And  you  zvask  azoav  your  sin. 
[Be  baptized,  be  baptized,  be  baptized. 
And  you  ivasti  a'uay  your  sin.) 

"  Here  the  world  and   flesh  and  devil 

We  do  solemnly  renounce  ; 

Here  we  vow  to  cease  from  evil  ; 

And  a  life  to  God  announce. 

i^Cease  from  evil,  cease frovi  evil,  cease  from  evil. 

And  a  life  to  God  antiounce.) 


500  FIRS 7'  BAPTIST  CHURCH. 

"  Of  our  vows  this  stone's  a  token 
Si  one  of  witness,'^  bear  record 
'Gainst  us,  if  our  vows  be  broken 
Or  if  we  forsake  the  Lord. 
[Soie/nn  vowing,  solemn  vowing,  solemn  vo7vin^ 
Stone  of  luifness,  bear  record. ) 

"  Help  us,  thou  baptized  Jesus  I 
What  we  vowed  to  fulfil. 
Of  our  fears  of  failing  ease  us. 
Form  and  mould  us  to  thy  will. 
[Help  US  Jesus,  help  us  Jesus,  help  us  Jesus, 
IVhnl  "we  vowed  to  fulfil.^ 

"  Hence  we  go  our  way  rejoicing 
Conscious  of  our  pleasing  God, 
Following  Jesus  still  proposing 
In  the  paths  his  feet  have  trod. 
( Go  rejoicing,  go  rejoicing,  go  rejoicing. 
Conscious  of  our  pleasing  God. )  ' ' 


APPENDIX  O. 


(On  account  of  the  great  length  of  the  Branson  deed,  it  is 
omitted.) 


^  .And  Joshua  .  .  .  took  a  great  stone,  and  set  it  up  there  under  an 
oak,  that  was  by  the  sanctuary  of  the  Lord.  And  Joshua  said  unto  all  the 
people,  "  Behold,  this  stone  shall  be  a  witness  unto  us  ;  for  it  hath  heard  all 
the  words  of  the  Lord  which  he  spake  unto  us  ;  it  shall  be  therefore  a  witness 
unto  you,  lest  ye  deny  your  God." — Joshua  xxiv  :  26,  27. 


APPENDIX  P. 

(Page  9J.) 


As  two  or  three  friends  to  whom  I  have  submitted  the  jjroof 
sheets  of  this  portion  of  my  address  seem  to  think  it  is  not  so 
clear  and  explicit  as  it  ought  to  be  in  reference  to  the  action  of 
this  Council,  I  have  thought  it  ])roper  to  add  the  following  facts  : 

In  1825  two  Councils  were  called,  the  first  by  our  church  and 
the  second  by  the  members  who  had  been  excluded. 

I.  The  senior  deacons  had  called  in  question  the  legality  of 
the  election  of  the  junior  deacons.  On  August  14,  1825,  the 
church  called  a  Council  of  thirteen  ministers  to  consider  this 
question.  The  Council  consisted  of  Revs.  Wm.  Ballantine, 
John   Brvce,    Joseph   Maylin,  J.   Patterson,   John   C.  Harrison, 

Kitts,   Joseph  Kennard,   Charles  J.    Hopkins,   J.   Sisty, 

John  Hewson,  Le  Hurey,  Thomas  Fleeson,  and  Samuel 

Huggens. 

This  Council,  while  disclaiming  all  intention  of  touching 
upon  the  existing  differences  in  the  church,  pronounced  the 
election  of  the  junior  deacons  to  have  been  in  accordance  with 
p]aptist  usages..  Two  members  of  the  Council  (Kitts  and  Ken- 
nard) declined  to  vote;  the  other  eleven  voted  in  favor  of  the 
legality  of  the  election  and  ordained  the  junior  deacons  the 
same  day. 

II.  At  the  business  meeting  on  October  3,  1825,  a  letter  ad- 
dressed to  the  "  Membersof  the  First  Bajjtist  Church  meeting  to 
transact  the  business  thereof,"  was  directed  to  be  returned 
unopened  to  the  author  or  authors  thereof,  because  it  was  not 
addressed  to  the  church  as  such.  The  contents  of  this  letter 
seem,  however,  to  have  been  known  by  rumor,  for  the  church 
cited  Silas  W.  Sexton  (the  only  senior  deacon  who  had  not  been 

501 


502  FIRST  BAPTIST  CHURCH. 

excluded)  to  "answer  such  questions  as  may  be  proposed  to 
him,"  since  as  the  preamble  states  it  was  believed  that  he  and 
others  had  called  a  Council  of  ministers  to  consider  the  matters 
at  issue. 

This  letter,  it  would  seem,  was  a  notice  to  the  church  that  the 
Council  would  meet  on  October  6th.  and  asked  that  they  be 
represented.  Whether  three  days  were  "due  notice  "  the  reader 
must  judge.  The  asserted  want  of  orthodoxy  has  already  been 
considered  in  the  Historical  Address,  j^age  87  et  seqq. 

The  next  stated  meeting  of  the  church  was  to  be  held  Novem- 
ber 7,  1825. 

On  October  31,  1825,  the  junior  deacons  received  the  follow- 
ing paper,  which  I  quote  from  a  pamphlet  issued  by  the  church 
in  1825,  and  addressed  to  the  Baptist  Churches  adhering  "to 
the  Confession  of  Faith,  adopted  by  the  Philadelphia  Baptist 
Association,  September  25,  1742."  The  original  paper  I  found 
in  our  archives : 

"Philadelphia,  6th  Oct.  1825. 

"Letters  being  addressed  to  several  ministering  brethren  of 
the  Philadelphia  Baptist  Association,  and  to  a  number  of  minis- 
tering brethren  of  the  neighbouring  Associations,  signed  by  five 
of  the  deacons  of  the  particular  Baptist  Church,  commonly 
called  the  First  IJaptist  Church  of  Philadelphia,  with  a  view  to 
sit  in  Council. 

"  The  brethren  invited,  convened  at  the  house  of  Joseph  S. 
Walter  at  2  o'clock,  and  proceeded  to  business.  Present,  Revs. 
Williams  Parkinson,  Spencer  H.  Cone,  Daniel  Dodge,  James 
McLaughlin,  Stephens  W.  Wolford,  Daniel  D.  Lewis,  Thomas 
B.  Montayne,  Joseph  IMathias,  S.  Smith,  W.  E.  Ashton,  J.  H. 
Kennard,  and  H.  G.  Jones. 

"  Rev.  Wm.  Parkinson  was  called  to  the  chair,  and  H.  G. 
Jones  appointed  Secretary. 

"  The  aggrieved  members  read  a  letter,  from  which  it  ap- 
peared, that  due  notice  [vide  suprd\  had  been  given  to  the  act- 
ing majority  of  the  church,  of  the  intention  of  the  aggrieved, 
to  call  a  council  which  proved  abortive,  owing  to  a  refusal  of 
the  majority  to  agree  to  the  same. 

"The  party  aggrieved  were  then  requested  to  state  their 
grievances,  which  was  fully  done,  by  a  minute  written  detail, 
read  by  Brother  Joseph  S.  Walter. 

"A  second  written  detail,  containing  numerous  references  to 


BI-CENTENNIAL    CELEBRATION.  503 

the  minutes  and  proceedings  of  the  First  Baptist  Church,  was 
read  by  Brother  Silas  W.  Sexton. 

"  Whereupon,  the  council,  after  mature  deliberation,  unani- 
mously agreed  upon  the  following  resolutions  : 

"■Resolved,  That  having  heard  the  allegations  as  stated,  and 
distinctly  proved,  by  the  aggrieved  part  of  the  church,  it  ap- 
peared incontrovertible  that  the  acting  majority  of  the  particu- 
lar Baptist  Church,  commonly  called  the  First  Baptist  Church 
in  Philadelphia,  have  departed  from  some  of  the  imi)ortant 
principles  in  our  confession  of  faith. 

''Resolved,  That  the  council  do  consider  the  aggrieved  mem- 
bers as  the  legitimate  church,  and  entitled  to  all  the  prop- 
erty, rights,  and  immunities  of  the  particular  Baptist  Church  in 
Philadeljjhia. 

''Resolved,  That  a  letter  be  written  and  signed  by  the  mem- 
bers of  the  Council,  addressed  to  the  acting  majority  of  the 
church,  recommending  them  to  choose  six  members  of  the  Bap- 
tist denomination  to  sit  in  Council,  reserving  to  the  aggrieved 
the  right  also  of  choosing  six.  The  twelve,  when  met  to  choose 
an  umpire,  before  whom  all  matters  in  controversy  may  be 
exhibited  and  settled. 

"Resolved,  That  should  the  acting  majority  of  said  church 
refuse  to  accede  to  the  peaceful  measures  recommended  by  the 
Council,  and  continue  to  exercise  themselves  by  might,  then, 
and  in  that  case,  we  recommend  the  aggrieved  brethren,  whose 
case  was  represented  by  George  Ingles,  John  McLeod,  Hugh 
Gourley,  Levi  Garrett,  and  Joseph  S.  Walter,  to  publish  and 
declare  to  all  people  that  they,  the  said  aggrieved,  under  the 
advice  of  the  Council,  above  mentioned,  are  the  legitimate 
church. 

"(Signed)  William  Parkinson.  Chairman. 

H.  G.  Jones,  Secretary. 
James  McLaughlin,  Daniel  D.  Lewis, 

Thomas  B.  Montayne,     Spencer  H.  Cone, 
Stephens  W.  Wolford,     Daniel  Dodge, 
William  E.  Ashton,         Joseph  Mathias, 
Joseph  H.  Kennard,         Samuel  Smith." 

The  same  paper  was  received  by  the  church  *and  read  Novem- 
ber 3d.  The  congregation,  "  at  a  large  meeting,"  held  Novem- 
ber 6,  1825,  passed  resolutions  supporting  the  action  of  the 
church.  A  long  letter  was  written  to  Dr.  Brantly  November 
4th,  reciting  all   the  facts   in   the  case,  so  that  he  could  judge 


504  FIRST  BAPTIST  CHURCH. 

whether  he  ought   to  accei)t  the  call.     On  December  7,  1825, 
his  acceptance  was  read.      In  this  letter  they  say  : 

"It  is  scarcely  necessary  for  us  to  add  that  we  have  adopted 
no  new  Confession  of  Faith,  but  that  we  hold  the  one  we  ever 
have  and  desire  no  other." 

The  action  of  the  Council  was  referred  to  a  committee,  who 
prepared  a  report,  which  was  ordered  to  be  printed,  and  is  the 
pamphlet  above  referred  to. 


NDEX. 


Adams,  John,  196 

Samuel.  195 
African  Baptist  Church,  First,  79,86, 

.358 
Aisle,  burial  in,  171 
American  and  Foreign  Bible  Society, 
100 
Baptist  Missionary  Union, 
80,81,  229,  231 
Publication      S  o  - 
ciety,  187 
Philosophical   Society,  37, 
108 
Anable,  Anna  M.,  133 
Anthony  Morris's  brew- house,  25 
Appendix    A,  Summary     of     Faith, 
Covenant,  Charter,  and 
By-Laws,  409 

B,  Pennepek  Church,  437 

C,  Correspondence  with 
Presbyterians,  439 

D,  Correspondence  with 
Rector  of  Christ 
Church,  444 

E,  K  e  i  t  h  i  a  n    Quakers, 

449 

F,  Deed  of  1694,  453 

G,  Declaration  of  Trust 
by  Church  Wardens  of 
Christ  Church,  456 

H,  Origin  of  Philadel- 
phia Baptist  Associa- 
tion, 460 

T,  Origin  of  First  Baptist 
Church,  466 

K,  Formula  of  ordination 
of  ministers,  471 

L,  Churches  in  Philadel- 
phia, 476 

M,  Opinions  of  Supreme 
Court  in  Spruce  Street 
troubles,  480 


Appendix   N,  The  Baptisterion,  498 
O,  Branson  deed,  500 
P,  Councils  of  1825,  501 
Ashton,  M    Virginia,  322 
Ashworth,  Jno.  W.,  137,  210 
Association,     Philadelphia      Baptist. 
See    Philada.  Baptist  Association 


Backus,  Isaac,  195 

Baltimore       Avenue     Mission      and 

Cliurch,  no,  198,362 
Banner  Circle  of  King's  .Sons,   197, 

393 
Baptism,  165 

by    immersion,  the   first,    in 

Pennsylvania,  22 
hours  and  place  of,  168 
Baptist  Boys'  Brigade,  198,  396 
churches  before  1698,  13 
Education      Society    of     the 

Middle  States,  80 
Home,  1 19,  331 
Orphanage,  119,  329 
Society  for  City  Missions,  S3 
Baptisterion,  165,  168,  498 
Baptistery,  169 
Barbadoes  store-house,  22 
Beckley,  John  T.,  137,  210 
lienner,  Henry,  99 
Bennett,  Jos.  A.,  in 
Beth  Eden  Baptist  Church,  125,  130 

.Sunday-school,  381 
Bible  school.      .See  Sunday-school. 
]5icentennial  celebiation,  program  of, 

295 
r>ird,  Jas.  W.,  99 
Blockley  Baptist  Church,  79 
Boardman  lioys'  Guild,  198,  394 

George   D.,  107  tY  seqq., 

209 
George    D.,  sermon,  251 


505 


5o6 


INDEX. 


Ijoardman  Mission,  io8 
Bonney,  Miss  Mary  L.,  122 
Ijoston,  First  Baptist  Church  of,  341 
15oys'  Guild,  198,  394 
Branches  and  sconces,  155,  187 
Branson,  William  and  Sarah,  38,  39, 

41,  183,  466 
Brantly,  William  T.,  77,  90,  92,  97  et 

se(jq.,  208 
Brew-house,  Anthony  Morris',  25 
Briggs,  F.  F.,  125,  127,  139,  211 
Broad  and  Arch  Streets  Church,  103 
Bromley,  Henry,  108,  no 
Brown  University,  45,  46,  47,  48,  55, 

205,  207,  227,  228,  229,  331 
Bucknell,  Mrs.  Emma  W.,  83 
Wm.,  167 

University,  104,  229,  i,'^^ 
Buildings,  27,  49,  73,  80,  102 
alterations  of,  188 
Bullock  Trust,  185 
Bunting,  lohn,  148 
Burial  ground,  170 
in  aisle,  171 
prices  for^  170,  171 
Business  failures,  179 

meetings,  149 
Butcher,  Washington,  182 
By-Laws,  426 


Calendar  for  1898,  10 

Camden.  First    Baptist     Church    of, 

80,  360 
Candles,  155 

Carpenter,  Aaron  E. ,  I44 
Carpets,  155 
Carroll,  A.   D.,  133 
Central  Union  Association,  99,  105 
Century  Confession  of  Faith,  36 
Chain  across  street,  182 
Chalice,  Communion,  41,  163 
Charleston,  First   Baptist   Church  of, 

342 
Charter,  417 
Chase,  Irah,  80 

Mrs.  M.  J.,  122, 
Chesebrough,  A.  F.,  133 
Chinese  Sunday-school,  197,  383 
Choir,  181 
Christ  Church,  30,  31,  32,  33,  350 

correspondence    with 
rector  of,  444 


Christ  Church,  Declaration    of  Trust 
of  Church  Wardens 
of,  456 
Church  of  1808,  73 
Churches  in  Philadelphia,  476 
Cincinnati,    Rogers'     prayer    before, 

.S8,  59 
Clayton,  Rev.  Mr.,  21 
Clevenger,  Samuel  J.,  109 
Clothes  purchased  for  ministers,  58 
Coffin,  Mrs.  Ann  D.,  173 
Cold  Spring  Baptist  Church,  17,  19 
Collections,  benevolent,  10,  186,  197 
Columbian    University,  74,  81,   229, 

Communion,  159 

chalice,  41,  163 

plate,  162 

transient,  160 
Confederated    States  of  North  Am- 
erica, 60,  61 
Consolidation  with   Beth   Eden,  125, 

138  ef  Si'q,j. 
Contention,  period  of,  85 
Contributions,  benevolent.     See  Col- 
lections. 
Cornwallis,  surrender  of,  34 
Councils  of  1825,  501 

on  difficulties,  90,  501 
Covenant,  414 
Croft,  George,  no 
Croskey,  Henry,  133 
Crowley,  W.  S.,  133 
Currency,  Continental,  57,  188 
Cuthbert,   Jas.    H.,  105  et  sei/q.,  209 


/ 


Davis,  John,  99 

John  C,  96,  167,    182 

Samuel,  159 

Trust;  185 
Deacons,  ordination  of,  157 
Declaration  of  Trust  of  Wardens  of 

Christ  Church,  31,  32,  456 
Deed  of  1694,  opposite  page  26 
Deeds  for    Lagrange    Place  lot,   25, 

41    (foot-note),  453 
Development,  period  of,  39 
Discipline,  176 
Dorcas  Society,  197,  313 

collections  for,  187 
Drunkenness,  176 
Dukes,  E.  W.,  144,  147,  148 


INDEX. 


507 


l^uncan,  William,  77,  99 
Dungan,  Thomas,  17,  19 


EAGLESFIELD,   flEORGE,   23,  468 

Education,  efforts  for,  29,  43 
hours  of,  48 

Society  of  Philadelphia,  80 
Edwards,  Billy,  48,  51 
Joshua,  48, 51 
Morgan,  42     et  seqq.,   54, 
150,  190,  195, 
204,  226 
"  Materials," 
etc.,  205 
William,  48,  51 
Elders,  ruling,  15S 
Eldridge,  Jos.  M.,  99 
Electricity,  155 
Elliott,  W.  S.,  no 
English,  Geo.  L.,  121 
Entwistle,  William,  no 
Episcopalians,   correspondence   with, 

21,444^ 
Evangel,  Church  of  the,  1 14,  364 


Faith,  Attainabi.eness  of,  87 
Farther  Lights  Mission    Circle  (Im- 

manuel),  405 
Fetter,  N.  C,  no 

First  African  Baptist  Church,  79,  86, 
358 
Baptist  Church,  founding  of,  21, 
38,  39,  466 
origin  of,  466 
Five  Principle  Baptists,  156 
Flanagan,  J-  M.,  133 
Foot-warmer,  Holland,  18 
Ford,  William,  95,  99 

Wm.  H.,  125,  147 
Foreign    Missionary   Society  of  First 

Church,  389 
Foss,  Bishop  C.  D.,  356 
P'oundation,  period  of,  17 

reasons  for  the  date  1698, 

13. 

Franklin,  Benjamin,  36,  37 
Friends,  greeting  of  the,  353 
Fromberger's  Court,  41 


Gano,  John,  41,  57,  60,  62,  195 
Garrett,  Philip  C,  353 


Gas,  155 

Gendell,  I, aura,  191 

George,  Silas  A.,  133 

Gever,  Jno.  H  ,  144,  147,  148 

W.  C.  149 
Gilmore,  J.  H.,  182 
Girls'  Guild,  197,  393 
Githens,    Benjamin,    132,    133,    144, 

147, 148 
Gloiia  Dei    (Old    Swedes')    Church, 

350 
Good  Friday,  observance  of,  160 
Grammar  School  Fund,  85 
Grant,  U.  S.,  193 
Griffiths,  Elijah,  77,  99 


Hagen.  Jas.  F.,  130,  144,  147,  148 

Hagy,  Mrs.  Joseph,  185 

Haines,  W,  S  ,  148 

Hallman,  Mary,  84,  168 

Hamilton,  M.  F. ,  144 

Hands,   imposition  of,  155 

Hansell,  Wm.  S. ,  95,  99 

Harrison,   Benjamin,  193 

Harvard  University,  29,  224,  225 

Heating,   155 

"  He  Leadeth  Me,"  182 

Helping  Circle  of  King's  Daughters, 

198,  396 
Historical  address,  13 
Histories  of  the  organizations   in  the 

First  Church,  389 
Histories  of  the  ori^anizations   in  the 

Beth  Eden  Church,  399 
Histories  of  the  organizations  in  the 

Immanuel  Mission,  403 
Holcombe,    Henry,    75,   79,    82,   84, 

86,  87,  124,  169,  207, 231 
Holland  foot-wanner,  18 
Hollis,  Thomas,  29,  45,  224 
Holme   or  Holms,  John,   21,  30,  41, 

450,  466,  468 
Home,  Baptist,  iiq,  331 

for  Incurables,  120,  329 
Missionary  Society  of  the  First 
Church,  83,  391 
Hopewell  Academy.  44,  47,  226 
Hopkins,  Stephen,  195 
Hopper,  Harry  S. ,  1 13 
Hewlett,  T.  R.,  no 
Hughes  Trust.  185 
Hunter,  D.  A.,  144,  147,  148 


5o8 


INDEX. 


Ide,  Gkorge  V,.,  99  et  setjq.,  208 
Iinmanuel  Mission,  109,  198 

Missionary  Circle,  404 
Immorality,  176 
Imposition  of  hands,  155 
Incorporation,  act  of,  415 

of  the  Church,  97 
Incurables,  Home  for.  120,  329 
Indian    Association,    Women's    Na- 
tional, 122,  330 
Indians,  memorial  in  favor  of,  1 23 
Inglis,  Annie  C,  120 

memorial,  392 
Mrs.  C.  K.,  174 
Intemperance,  52 


Lagrange  Place,  41 

Latin  tirammar  School,  43 

Laying  on  of  hands,  155 

Legacies,  183 

Letters  of  dismission,  170 

Levering,  W.  A.,  125,  144,  147,  182 

Liberty,  religious,  29,  195 

License,  marriage,  192 

Lighting  the  church,  154 

Lincoln,  Abraham,  193 

Liquor,  use  of,  174 

Lloyd,  Thos.  A.,  no,  112 

Lower  Dublin  Church.  See  Pennepek. 

Loxley,  B.  Ogden,  125,  147 

B.  R.,  99,  107,  loS,  174,  1S4 


Jayne,  H.  La  Barre,  136 
Jefferson  Medical  College,  75 

Thomas,  77 
Johns,  David,  99 
Johnson  Trust,  184 
Jones,  Isaac,  55,  73,  158,  184 

Jenkin,   23,   37   ei  seqq.,    162, 
184,   204 
portrait  of,  43 
Samuel,  23,  46,  54,  202,  228 
Judson,  Adoniram,  77,  81,  133 
Junior    Christian    Endeavor    Society, 
198 
Society    Christian     Endeavor 
(Iinmanuel),  405 
Justice  Memorial  Fund,  185 


Keach,  Elias,  18,  201 

portrait  of,  43 
Keen,  Joseph,  84,  99 
Jr.,  169 
Samuel  W.,  77 
William  W.,  95,  99 

M.D.,     13,      83, 
125,  144,  147 
Keithian    Quakers,    22,    25,    27,   30, 

449,  466 
Kennedy,  Harold,  113 
King,  Henry  M.,  address,  213 
Kinnersley,    Ebenezer,  37,   48,    184, 
204 
William,     23,    37,    38, 
204,  468 
Knowles,  Levi,  133,  144 
Wm.  B.,  132 


Mabie'.s,  Henry  C,  Address,  231 
Macaltioner,  A.,  133 
Manners  and  customs,  early,  149 
Manning,  James,    35,  36,  44,  60,  69, 

160,  195,  226 
Marriage  book,  46,  189 
Martin,  H.  B.,  121,  125 
Master's  gown,  use  of,  44 
McLeod,  John,  124,  154 
Membershi])  of  Church,   21,   23,  38, 

71,  72,  77,  125 
Men's  League  for  Social  Service,  198 
Middletown  Baptist  Church,  343 
Mifflin,  Thomas,  195 
Miles,  General  (Colonel)  Samuel,  51, 

68,  1^7,  105 
Miller,  Charles  T.,  132,  133,  136 
Jesse,  99 
j.  K.,356 
Ministers,  annual  engagement  of,  55 
independence  of,  169 
means  of  support  of,  55 
plain  speaking  of,  57 
purchase  of  clothes  for,  58 
Minute  book,  45,  150 
Minutes,  frankness  of,  149,  161 
Missionary  Union,  So,  81,  229,  2^1 
Mitchell.  Thomas  D.,  73,  476 
Money,  Continental,  57,  188 
Monument,  pastors',  172 
Moore,  Elizabeth,  84 

James  S.,  109,  120,  1S2 
Joshua,  158 
Morgan,  Abel,  23,  26  <'/ j(V/(/.,  44,  54, 
203,  225 
Evan,  23,  54,  202 
Morrison,  C.  F. ,  144,  147,  148 


IXDEX. 


5C9 


Morris's,  Anthony,  brew-house,  25 
Morse,  G.  Byron,  121 
Moulder,  Jos.,  157,  195 
Mulford,  John,  Jr.,  95,  99 
Music,  180 


Narberth  Mission,  113 
Necrology,    Church,    reading    of,   on 

New  Year's  Day,  159 
Newport,  First  Baptist  Church  of,  340 
Newspapers,  early  Baptist,  74,  77 
New  Year's  meeting,  159 
New  York,  Calvary    Baptist  Church, 

345  .     ■ 

Fifth      Avenue      Baptist 
Church,  345 
Notable  events  in  our  history,  7 


Officers,  Roll  of,  for  1898,  9 
Ogden,  Sarah,  84 
Oil,  use  of,  155 
Ordination  of  Deacons,  157 

of   Ministers,  formula  for, 
4t>,  471 
Organ,  46,  18 1 
Orphanage,  Baptist,  1 19,  329 
Orphans,  fund  for,  188 


Page,  Jos.  F.,  119,  147 

Paine,  Robt.  Treat,  195 

Parish  register,  189 

Pastors,  biographical  sketches  of,  201 

roll  of,  8 
Pastors'  monument,  172 
Patriotism  of  Church,  192 
Peace  Society  of  Pennsylvania,  76 
Pemberton,  Israel,  196 
Pennepek  Baptist  Church,  17,  18,  33, 

3^.  39,  336,  437 
Pennsylvania  Baptist  Ministerial  Ed- 
ucation Society,  10 1 
Period  of  contention,  85 

development,  39 
foundation,    17 
progress,  97 
Perry,  Jos.  E.,  no 
Pew-rents,  55'  ^'^^ 
Philadelphia  Baptist  Association,  33, 
34,  36,  45,  46,  7i>  ^f'.  90, 126,  195, 
460 


I'hiladelphia  P>aptist  Association,  ori- 
gin of,  2>o^  460 
Baptist         Association, 
troubles    with,   86    </ 
secjcj. 
Confession  of  Paith,  36, 

221 
Educational        Society, 

loi 
First         Presbyterian 

Church  of,  349 
in  1720,  view  of,  24 
Society  for  the  Support 
and     Instruction      of 
First  Day,  or  Sunday, 
Schools,  84 
Piscataway       (Piscataqua)        Baptist 

Church,  y}„^  343,  460 
Poor,  house  hired  for,  186 
Poverty  of  early  church,  154 
Preface,  II 

Presbyterians,   bicentennial    greeting 
to,  21 
bicentennial    greeting 

from,  349 
correspondence    with, 

20,  439 
in  Barbadoes  lot,  20 
"  Primitive  Theology,"  76,  87 
Princeton  University,  58,  74,  232 
Program  of  Bicentennial  Celebration, 

295 
Progress,  period  of,  97 
Providence,  First   Baptist  Church  of, 

156,  222,  228,  340 
Puerto  Rico,  expedition  to,  179 


Quaker  Baptists,  26,  449 
Quakers,  195 

Keithian,  account  of,  26,449 
Quinton,  Mrs.  A.  S.,  122,  330 


Ramage,  Emily,  84 

Kanibaut,  Mrs.  Thos.,  122 

Read,  Jos.  J.,  133 

Reception,  31 1 

Register  of  births,  deaths,  and  mar- 
riages, 189 

Religious  freedom,  earliest  liaptist 
stand  for,  29 

Revolution,  troubles  duiing,  57,  60 


5IO 


INDEX. 


Rhees,  Ann  Loxley,  75,  84 
B.  Rush,  75,  77 

Morgan  J.,  75 
Rhode    Island   College.      See  Brown 

University. 
Rogers,  William,  47,  48,  55,  60,  68, 

69,  82,  195,  206 
Roman  Catholics  and  Baptists,  29 
Roxhorough   l>aptist  Church,  79,  357 
Ruling  elders,  158 
Rum,  use  of,  174 
Rush,  Dr.  Benjamin,  57,  71 


Sachse,  J.  F. ,  22,  178 

Sagebeer,  J.  E.,  loS.  no 

Sansom  Street    Baptist    Church,    75, 

79 
School  house,  80 
Schuylkill  branch,  168 

lot,  80,  92,  96 
Sconces  and  branches,  155,  187 
Scott,  John  H.,  136,  369,381,  383 
Mrs.  T.  S.,  313 
T.  Seymour,  125 
Second  Baptist  Church,  79 
Selby,  Thomas,  23,  26,  468,  469 
Semple,  Matthew,  125 
Settee,  present  of,  154 
Sexton  and  yellow  fever,  71 

Silas  W.,  95 
Shields,  Thomas,  68,  195 

Trust,  185 
Shumway,  Lowell,  132,  133,  147 
Siewers,  E    R.,  42,  43,  48,  51 
Singing,  180 

songs  and  telling  stories,  178 
Six  Principle  Baptists,  156 
Slavery,  106,  193 
Small  affairs,  attention  to,  154 
Smith,  J.  Wheaton,  132  ct  seq,].,  2IO 
Samuel,  83 
Trust,  184 
Soars,  C.  A.,  no 
South  Broad   Street  Baptist  Church, 

109, 361 
Speir,  James,  132 

Spruce  Street  Baptist  Church,  begin- 

ningof  troubles  with, 

87  et  seqq.,  1 67,  169, 

185 

Baptist    Church,   final 

agreement  with,  93 


Spruce  Street  lot,  167,  168 

troubles,    opinions    of 
.Supreme    Court    as 
to, 480 
Stager,  E.  D.,  no 
State  House,  worship  in,  80 
Staughton,  William,   71,  82,   83,  86, 

207,  231 
Stillman,  .Samuel,  41,44,  54,  55 
Stillwell,  H.  F.,  no 
St.  Paul,  First  Baptist  ('hurch  of,  365 
Summai-y  of  Faith,  409 
Sumter,  Fort,   193 
.Sunday-school,  84,  I97,  369 

Beth    Eden,    history 

of,  381 
collection  for,  187 
history  of,  369 
Supreme  Court,  opinions  of,  in  .Spruce 
Street  troubles,  91,  480 


Tahernacle  Baptist  Church,  140 
Teasdale,  Thomas  C,  99 
Temperance,  174 
Third  Baptist  Church,  79 
Thomas,  Augustus,  147 
Tombstone,  inscription  on,  36 
Triennial   Convention,   80,    81,    229, 

231 
Trotter,  Thos.  C,  n3 
Trust  funds  of  First  Church,  183 
Tunes,  list  of,  1 81 
Tupper,  Kerr  Boyce,  127  et  seqq. ,  2n 

seimon,  271 
Tustin,  E.  L. ,  105,  125,  147 
P'rancis  W.,  105 


Universalism,  66-68 

University  of   Pennsylvania,  37,  44, 

49,  58',  n5,  205,  229,  334 
Upper  Freehold  Church,  34 
Ustick,  Thomas,  69  et  seqq.,  206 


Walter,  Jos.  S.,  95 

Thos.  U.,  169 
Washington,  George,  192 
Watkins,  Jos.,  157 
Watts,  John,  21,  23,  20I,  468 
Wattson,  Thomas,  96,  105,  182 
Wayland,  H.  L.,  no,  144 
Weatherly,  Mary,  n9 


INDEX. 


5'i 


Weed,  Dr.,  53,  149 

Welsh  Tract  Baptist  Church,  156 

Welshmen,  influence  of,  54 

West,   R.  N.,  no 

Westcott,  George,  158 

Whatsoever  Circle  of  King's  Daugh- 
ters, 198 

Whatsoever  Circle  of  King's  Daugh- 
ters (Beth  Eden),  402 

Williams,  Roger,  215 

Wilson,  Roberto.,  191 

Winchester,  Elhanan,  66  ei  seqq. ,  206 

Wine,  unfermented,  at   Communion, 

175 
Woman's  Auxiliary,  197,  389 
Women,  voting  by,  151 
Women's  Foreign  Missionary  Society, 

197        .    . 
Home  Mission  Society,  197 


Women's  Meeting,  313 

National    Indian    Associa- 
tion, 122,  330 

Work  in  Beth  Eden,  399 
Wood,  Joseph,  23,  203 
Woodrow,  Henry,  158,  161,  162 


Yale  University,  58 

Yarnall,  H.,  133 

Yellow  fever,  71 

Young  People's  l>aptist  Union,  121 

Society  for  Christian 
Culture,  198,  398 
Society  for  Christian 
Endeavor  (1 m  - 
manuel),  403 
Society  of  Christian 
Endeavor,  197 


